15th JUNE CURRENT AFFAIRS IN ENGLISH

1. World Blood Donor Day

Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD).

• The event, established in 2004, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.
• The theme for Blood Donation Day in 2018 is 'Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life.’

2. Piyush Goyal dedicates NLCIL's Three 100 MW Solar Power Projects to the Nation

The Union Minister for Railways, Coal, Finance & Company Affairs, Shri Piyush Goyal has inaugurated Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL)’s three 100 MW Solar Power Projects for commercial operation and dedicated these projects to the Nation .

• The Solar Power projects situated at Thoppalaakkarai and Sethupuram in Virudhunagar District and Sellaiya Sezhiyanallur in Tirunelveli District, with an installed capacity of 100 MW each, were erected at a cost of Rs.1300 Crores, which includes Operation & Maintenance cost for 15 Years.
• The power produced from these units will be given to Tamilnadu Power Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) at a cost of Rs.4.41/- per unit.

3. Swajal Launched in 115 Aspirational Districts of India

A National Consultation on the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Swajal was held in the Capital to discuss the reforms needed in NRDWP and to outline a road map for the Swajal scheme.

• The consultation was chaired by the Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti.
• Ministers-in-charge of Drinking Water from 13 States, including Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, attended the consultation and gave their views on the reforms needed in the ongoing Centrally-sponsored drinking water schemes being implemented in the respective states.

4. 20 States sign MoU for implementing Ayushman Bharat –AB-NHPM

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding with the State Health Ministers of 20 States marking their commitment towards the launch of the Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) at a Health Ministers conclave.

• Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Smt. Anupriya Patel, Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO NITI Aayog, Dr. Vinod Paul, Member Health, NITI Aayog, Smt Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) and Shri Indu Bhushan, CEO, AB-NHPM, were also were also present at the function.
• Shri J P Nadda further stated that AB-NHPM will protect around 50 crore people (from about 10 crore families).

5. Integrated Command and Control Centre of Naya Raipur Smart City inaugurated by PM

The Integrated Command and Control Centre of the Naya Raipur Smart City was inaugurated by Prime Minster Narendra Modi.

• Sh. Hardeep Puri, MoS(I/C), Housing and Urban Affairs and Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr. Raman Singh were also present on the occasion.
• Integrated Command & Control Centre of Naya Raipur becomes the 10th Smart City Centre to be operational in the country.
• Under the ambitious Smart City Mission, Integrated Command & Control Centres in 9 cities had already become operational in the cities of are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Pune, Nagpur, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Bhopal and Kakinada.

6. National Tribal Museum proposed to be set up at Delhi

A National Tribal Museum along with a National Level Tribal Research Institute is proposed to be set up at Delhi by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

• Briefing media persons on four years of initiatives and achievements of the Tribal Affairs Ministry, the Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Jual Oram said that the Museum will showcase the rich tribal culture and heritage using state-of-the-art technologies.
• The proposal to set up the Museum and TRI has already been sent to the Niti Ayog.
• As per the announcement made by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in his Independence Day Speech on 15th August, 2016, MoTA is setting up six Tribal Freedom Fighters Memorials including two of national importance ie. Narmada (Gujarat) and Birsa Munda Central Jail (Ranchi), the Minister disclosed.

7. Release of the Report on the Composite Water Management Index

As a step further in direction and keeping in view the criticality of water for life, NITI Aayog has prepared a report on Composite Water Management Index (CWMI). 

• The report released today ranks Gujarat as number one in the reference year (2016-17), followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. 
• In North Eastern and Himalayan States, Tripura has been adjudged number 1 in 2016-17 followed by Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam. 
• In terms of incremental change in index (over 2015-16 level), Rajasthan holds number one position in general States and Tripura ranks at first position amongst North Eastern and Himalayan States. 
• NITI Aayog proposes to publish these ranks on an annual basis in future.

8. Dr. Inder Jit Singh assumes charge as Secretary, Ministry of Coal

Dr. Inder Jit Singh, (KL:1985) assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Coal at  Shastri Bhawan office, New Delhi. 

• Dr. Inder Jit Singh took over the charge of Secretary which fell vacant after superannuation of Shri Susheel Kumar (IAS:1982:UP) on April 30 this year.
• In the interim, Secretary Mines, Shri Anil G Mukhim (IAS:1985:GJ) had been holding additional charge as Secretary, Coal.