NATIONAL UPDATES:
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.
2. Madhya Pradesh govt to set up PM College of Excellence
in all districts of the state: Madhya Pradesh government will
set up PM College of Excellence in
all districts of the state. The decision to this effect was taken at the
first Cabinet meeting chaired by new Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Bhopal. In
Madhya Pradesh, the government will upgrade one college in every district out
of total 570 government colleges as “PM College of Excellence”. More than Rs
460 crore will be spent on the development of these colleges. Apart from this,
degree and mark sheets of students in all government and private universities
will be uploaded in DigiLocker.
3. NHAI inks pact to develop multi-modal logistics park
at Nagpur: State-owned
NHAI has signed an
agreement to develop a multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) in Nagpur at
a cost of Rs 673 crore. This project is poised to be the first MMLP in
Maharashtra under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. NHAI has signed an
agreement with M/s DC Multi-Modal Park (Nagpur) Limited, an SPV of M/S
DeltaBulk Shipping India Pvt Ltd, for the development of Multi Modal Logistics
Park (MMLP) in Nagpur. The MMLP will be developed in an area of 150 acres under
the Public Private Partnership model at an estimated cost of Rs 673 crore. The
MMLP will provide facilities, such as warehouses, cold storages, intermodal
transfers, handling facilities for container terminals, and bulk/break-bulk
cargo terminals, along with value-added services.
4. Parama Sen appointed part-time member of PFRDA board: The Centre has appointed Parama Sen, Additional Secretary, Department of Expenditure in the
Finance Ministry, as a part-time
member in Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). Sen,
a 1994 batch Indian Audit and Accounts Services (IAAS) officer, replaces Anne
George Mathew, Additional Secretary in Finance Ministry, who demitted office
this year. PFRDA has a chairman besides three whole-time members and three
part-time members. The post of Member (Law), which fell vacant in May last
year, remains to be filled. The two other part-time members — Rahul Singh
(Department of Personnel and Training) and Pankaj Sharma (Department of
Financial Services) — were appointed last year.
5. 14 December – National Energy
Conservation Day: National Energy
Conservation Day is observed in India every year on December 14. Objective – To raise
public awareness about the value of energy efficiency and conservation. Every
year, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power spearheads
the celebrations. Since 1991, December 14 has been designated as the National
Energy Conservation Day. In 2021, the power ministry also observed the Energy
Conservation Week from December 8 to 14 as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
celebrations.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India’s plan for 50,000 e-buses on its roads gets US
support: India is aiming to get
50,000 electric buses on its streets by 2027 with help from a joint
finance mechanism with the The $390 million fund will act as a guarantee for
manufacturers seeking loans to expand production. India currently only has
12,000 e-buses in operation. The payment security mechanism, established with
$150 million from the US government and philanthropic groups, and $240 million
from the Indian government, is the bedrock of risk management for building out
the financial system for electric mobility at scale in India.
2. Germany to give €500 mn for Bengaluru Metro expansion: The payment security mechanism, established with $150 million from the US government and
philanthropic groups, and $240 million from the Indian government, is the
bedrock of risk management for building out the financial system for electric
mobility at scale in India. KfW,
Germany’s state-owned investment and development bank, is set to sign an
agreement to provide €500 million
(around ₹4,500 crore) in financial assistance for the expansion of the
Bengaluru Metro. The funding, which includes loan and grants, will help
the metro’s expansion plans as well as provide technical expertise to the metro
project. KfW, which is looking to expand its funding for green energy and
sustainable mobility projects in India, is also financing metro projects in
Mumbai and Nagpur among other cities.
3. Aditya Jairaj appoints as CEO and MD of Stellantis
India: Aditya
Jairaj has been appointed as CEO
and MD of Stellantis India, with effect from January 1, 2024. Aditya,
currently deputy managing director, Stellantis India and head – Jeep India,
will succeed Roland Bouchara, who will be assigned to another function in
Europe after six and a half years of leading Stellantis in India. Since he was
appointed the CEO and MD in 2021, Roland has successfully led Stellantis India’s
expansion, playing an instrumental role in establishing a robust foundation for
Citroën and Jeep.
Before
2021, Roland successfully launched the Citroën brand in India and led the
operations in his capacity as senior vice president of sales and marketing for
the brand.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. 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.
SPORTS
1. 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.
2. 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).
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. First Indian astronaut on moon by
2040: ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) is planning to send Indian astronauts to the moon for the
first time by 2040. Four test pilots from the Indian Air Force have been
selected as astronaut designates for the mission. ISRO aims to take the next
step in space exploration with the Gaganyaan programme, planning to launch a
crew of 2 to 3 Indian astronauts into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for up to three
days before safely returning them to a predefined site in Indian waters. Currently,
the astronaut designates are undergoing mission-specific training at the
Astronaut Training Facility (ATF) in Bengaluru. The inaugural manned space
mission Gaganyaan involves developing critical technologies, including a
human-rated (capable of safely transporting humans) launch vehicle (HLVM3), an
Orbital Module comprising a Crew Module (CM) and Service Module (SM), and life
support systems.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. 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.
2. 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.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. 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.
2. Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar honored with the Karmaveer Chakra Medal: Hemachandran Ravikumar was honored with the Karmaveer Chakra Medal and Rex Karmaveer Global Fellowship by ICONGO in collaboration with the United Nations in New Delhi These awards recognized Dr. Hemachandran Ravikumar’s exceptional contributions to Research & Development in Physical & Bio-Science and Microbiological Studies. The Rex Karamveer Chakra Medal, considered one of the most prestigious civilian honors, is reserved for individuals who have exhibited outstanding contributions globally towards the well-being of humanity.
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