Current affairs 13 June 2023

Amit Agrawal appointed as CEO of UIDAI.

• Senior IAS officer, Amit Agrawal has been appointed as the new CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• While Subodh Kumar Singh has been appointed as director general of the National Testing Agency.
• Both Agrawal and Singh are Indian Administrative Service officers of the Chhattisgarh cadre.
• Rashmi Chowdhary, additional secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, has been appointed as secretary in the Central Information Commission.

India, ADB sign $130 million loan agreement to boost horticulture in HP.

• The central government and the ADB signed a loan agreement worth $130 million to boost agricultural productivity and horticulture agribusinesses.
• The deal aims to increase farmers‘ income and improve access to irrigation in Himachal Pradesh.
• The project interventions will help increase the income and resilience to the effects of climate change of at least 15,000 farm households across seven districts in the state: Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmour, Solan, and Una.

Axis Bank’s lake cleanliness drive in Hyderabad enters Asia Book of Rec.

• Axis Bank in partnership with NGO Dhruvansh has organised a lake cleaning drive, Cleanathon, in Hyderabad.
• This initiative was recorded in the Asia Book of Record as it was the largest cleaning drive conducted across the country.
• In Hyderabad, over 100 volunteers participated in cleaning Mushki Cheruvu and Neknampur Lake to restore these water bodies.
• The campaign aligned with the United Nations’ theme for World Environment Day 2023, Beat Plastic Pollution.

IIT Mandi researchers develop smart biodegradable microgels.

• Researchers at the IIT Mandi have developed smart biodegradable microgels to make agricultural practices more sustainable and minimize the adverse impact caused by the use of insecticides and agrochemicals.
• The research has been published in the Carbohydrate Polymers journal.
• Modern agriculture relies heavily on the application of various agrochemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on crops to meet the demand for food for the growing population.

Israel to issue world first digital government bond.

• The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) and Israel’s Ministry of Finance have completed the proof of concept phase for a digital Israeli bond traded on a dedicated blockchain platform.
• The development positions Israel to release the world’s first digital government bond.
• The collaboration between the TASE and the Finance Ministry’s Office of the Accountant General “marks a significant milestone in revolutionizing the settlement and issuance processes in traditional capital markets.