Current Affairs 18th June 2015

Current Affairs 18th June 2015 - Important Points

• Who is appointed as Director of National Crime Records Bureau - Archana Ramasundaram

• Who has won 10th Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith - Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana

• Which compound has been discovered that inhibits protein synthesis - Anti-Malarial compound DDD107498

• Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 has been approved by - Union Cabinet

• Who is re-elected as President of Mumbai Cricket Association - Sharad Pawar

• Who has approved setting up of 2000 MW of Grid connected Solar PV Power Projects under JNNUSM - CCEA

• Which renowned architect has passed away - Charles Correa

Current Affairs 18th June 2015 - Details

Who is appointed as Director of National Crime Records Bureau - Archana Ramasundaram

Among the important appointments, On 17th June 2015, Archana Ramasundaram was appointed as the Director of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), New Delhi. Ramasundram is an IPS officer of 1980-batch of Tamil Nadu cadre.

Her posting to NCRB was approved by appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet curtailing her tenure as Additional Director of the CBI, New Delhi.

In May 2014, Ramasundaram joined the CBI as its Additional Director. Earlier to her appointment in CBI, she was the DGP and Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board.

Who has won 10th Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith - Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 16th June 2015, 10th Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith was awarded to Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana. They were awarded for novel Ek Zindagi Ek Ek Script Bhar and poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot.

The awards ceremony saw discussion on Contemporary Modern Poetry and Fiction Writing by writers Upasana & Jitendra Biseria and poetry recital by Babusha Kohli & Dilip Shakya held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Which compound has been discovered that inhibits protein synthesis - Anti-Malarial compound DDD107498

On 18th June 2015, scientists discovered a novel anti-malarial compound DDD107498 that inhibits protein synthesis. The study associated to the discovery was published in the Journal Nature.

All the characterstics of an anti-malarial drug which extends to multiple lifecycle stages of the Plasmodium parasite with good pharmacokinetic properties and an acceptable safety profile were all found in the compound.

The results gain notability as the malaria parasite has developed resistance to many of the anti-malarial drugs currently being used including the potent artemisinin.

In 2013, there were nearly 0.6 million deaths across the world, and 200 million cases of malaria. In India, there were nearly 116000 malaria deaths happened in 2013 and about 61 million malaria cases.

Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 has been approved by - Union Cabinet

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 17th June 2015, The Union Cabinet gave its approval to introduce Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 in the Parliament. It will withdraw the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986.

The bill is deliberated to improve the quality of goods, services and systems in the country.

Objectives of Indian Standards Bill, 2015

• To initiate the Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India. It will execute its functions through a Governing Council, that consist of its President and other members.
• To include systems, services and goods, besides articles and processes under the standardization regime
• To allow multiple types of simplified conformity assessment schemes including Self Declaration of Conformity (SDOC) against any standard which will give multiple simplified options to manufacturers to adhere to standards and get a certificate of conformity, thus improving the ease of doing business
• To enable the Union Government to appoint any authority, in addition to the BIS, to verify the conformity of products and services to a standard and issue certificate of conformity
• To authorize the Government to implement mandatory hallmarking of precious metal articles
• To enhance penal planning for better and effective compliance and enable compounding of offences for violations
• To provide recall, including product liability of products bearing the Standard Mark, but not conforming to relevant Indian Standards

Who is re-elected as President of Mumbai Cricket Association - Sharad Pawar

Among the important Sports Current Affairs, On 17th June 2015, Veteran leader of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar was re-elected as the President of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

Pawar beats Vijay Patil by 34 votes to retain the president's post in the biennial polls held for the post.

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar along with Ashish Shelar was elected as Vice-President of the MCA. Vengsarkar secured 195 seats and defeated Pratap Sarnaik who got 124 votes.

Nitin Dalal after defeating Mayank Khandwala was elected as Treasurer.

Who has approved setting up of 2000 MW of Grid connected Solar PV Power Projects under JNNUSM - CCEA

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 17th June 2015, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved setting up of over 2000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects under Batch-III of Phase-II of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).

The project will be developed on Build, Own and Operate basis by Solar Power Developers (SPDs) with Viability Gap Funding (VGF). The total investments expected under this scheme is about 12000 crore rupees and the VGF is estimated at 2100 crore rupees.

The National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) will provide the requisite funds for provision of the VGF support.

The VGF scheme will be implemented by solar power developers through transparent competitive bidding to provide solar power at a pre-defined rate of 5.43 rupees per kWh for the first year, with a hike of 5 paisa per kWh each year till the tariff reaches 6.43 rupees per kWh.

This project will result in:

• An additional 2000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar PV power generation projects will be created.
• Generation of about 3320 million units per year, which will satisfy power to almost one million Households
• Employment will be generated for about 12000 people in rural and urban areas
• Reduction of about 3.41 Million tonnes of CO2 emissions into the environment every year

Which renowned architect has passed away - Charles Correa

On 16th June 2015, India’s renowned contemporary architect Charles Correa passed away at the age of 84. Creation of architecture for post-Independence India was lead by him.

Famous monuments and buildings of the nation were designed by him including Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museum in Ahmedabad; Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Bhopal; National Crafts Museum, New Delhi; Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal and British Council, Delhi.

Champalimaud Centre for The Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal and McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Boston was also designed by him. He was the initiator of Mumbai’s Urban Design Research Institute that works to protect the environment and improve lives of urban communities.

Along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta, he was the Chief Architect behind the development of Navi Mumbai. In 1985, he also had served as Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization.