Daily GK Update: 15th December 2023

 National & International Appointments

1. Bhajan Lal Sharma sworn-in as Chief Minister of Rajasthan

• BJP legislature party leader Bhajan Lal Sharma sworn-in as Chief Minister of Rajasthan at Albert Hall in Jaipur.
• Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath to Mr Sharma and his two deputies -  Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa.
• Mr. Sharma was elected as an MLA from the Sanganer Assembly constituency.
• Vasudev Devnani has been named the state assembly speaker.

 Defense

2. Fast AttackCraft INS Tarmugli commissioned into Navy at Naval Dockyard

• INS Tarmugli, a Fast Attack Craft has been commissioned into the Navy at a ceremony held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.
• Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, AVSM, VSM, Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy commissioned the Trinkat Class FAC which was gifted to the Maldivian Naval Defence Forces (MNDF) in 2006 by India.
• The ship returned in May this year and post extensive restoration work by the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, was reincarnated in its present avatar.

 Honours & Awards

3. Activist Ali Abu Awwad and pianist Daniel Barenboim win Indira Gandhi Peace

• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2023 has been jointly awarded to Daniel Barenboim and Ali Abu Awwad for their efforts in bringing together the youth and peoples of Israel and the Arab World for a non-violent resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
• The International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development chaired by former Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur.

 Obituaries

4. Andre Braugher, Emmy-winning star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine passses away at 61

• Andre Braugher, the Emmy-winning actor best known for his roles on the series Homicide: Life on The Street and Brooklyn 99, died at age 61.
• The Chicago-born actor had his breakthrough role in 1989's Glory, starring alongside Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.
• He won an Oscar for the film about an all-Black army regiment during the the Civil War.

 Banking & Finance

5. SBI hikes base rate by 15 bps

• The State Bank of India’s (SBI) has hiked its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) and base rate.
• The new rates are effective from December 15, 2023, according to the SBI website.
• The MCLR is the lowest interest rate at which a bank can make a loan to a customer.

 Sports

6. MS Dhoni's iconic No. 7 jersey retired by BCCI

• India's former cricket captain, MS Dhoni, will have his iconic No. 7 jersey retired by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a tribute to his contribution to the sport.
• Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 but continues to play in franchise cricket.
• While wearing the No. 7, Dhoni led India to three white-ball ICC titles: the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.

 Sports

7. Antim Panghal named UWW Rising Star of the Year

• Indian wrestler Antim Panghal (19-years) has been named the Rising Star of the Year among women by the United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s global governing body.
• She is Two-time World under-20 champion and senior Worlds bronze medallist Antim Panghal (53kg).

 Banking & Finance

8. Net Direct tax collection surges 23.4 percent to 10.6 lakh crore rupees bet

• The government’s net direct tax collection for April to November 2023, stood at 58.34 percent of Budget Estimates (BE) at 10.64 lakh crore rupees.
• The Gross collections, before issuing refunds, grew at 17.7 percent to 12.67 lakh crore rupees in the April-November period.
• The Refund amount issued from April to November of the current fiscal stood at 2.03 lakh crore rupees.
• In the current fiscal, 18.23 lakh crore rupees is expected to be collected in direct taxes.