Daily GK Update: 2nd January, 2017 For All The Upcoming Exams

Govt permits 12 PSU banks to raise Rs 3,000 crore from market

i.The Finance Ministry granted approval to 12 proposals of PSBs to raise a sum of Rs 2,914.038 crore through preferential allotment and permission given to raise Rs 200 crore by United Bank of India through QIP mode. 
 ii.The government had already infused a sum of Rs 25,000 crore in 19 PSBs during FY 2015-16.

NRIs can exchange defunct notes up to June 30: RBI

i.Resident Indian citizens who were abroad from November 9 to December 30 during Demonetization can avail exchange facility up to March 31, 2017 

ii.NRI citizens, who were abroad during this period, can exchange their defunct notes up to June 30, 2017

26 crore accounts open under Jan Dhan Yojana across country 

i.Over 26 crore accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana across the country now.
ii.The Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August, 2014 with the objective of covering all households with at least one bank account. 

Mori in Andhra gets Smart Digital village tag

i.Mori, a tiny village under Sakhinetipalli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, sealed its place on India's digital map by transforming completely into a Smart Digital Village, in every sense of the term.

ii.All the 1189 households in the village with a population of 4500 became fully digital as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu finally launched the AP FiberNet project that will provide internet at a speed of 15 mbps, WiFi, a telephone connection and 250 cable television channels for a total price of Rs 149 per month.

World famous 11-day gala festival Bargarh Dhanua Jatra begins

i. Odisha's World famous 11-day gala festival Bargarh Dhanua Jatra is all set to begin on 2 January 2017.All rituals were performed before Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of the event.

ii.Dhanu Jatra is an annual drama-based open air theatrical performance celebrated in a 6 km radius in and around Bargarh municipality. It is considered to be the world’s largest open air theatrical festival.

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani dedicated India’s first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji 

i.Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani dedicated India's first laser technology-based advanced AVMS RTO check-post at Shamlaji of Aravalli district . 

ii.The check-post is equipped with advanced ray technology with a cost of Rs 4.72 crore. Along with this programme, Rupani also laid foundation stones of various developmental works worth Rs 30 crore in tribal area of Aravalli district.

India successfully test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile Agni-IV

i.India has successfully test-fired its home-grown long range intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-IV from the Abdul Kalam Wheeler Island off Odisha coast.

ii. Agni-IV is a two-stage, surface-to-surface missile that is 20 metres long and weighs 17 tonnes. It can carry a one-tonne nuclear warhead over a distance of 4,000 kilometres. 

India’s Petronet Signs MoU to Set Up $950 Mn LNG Project in Bangladesh

i.India's largest LNG importer Petronet has signed an agreement to set up a $950 million liquefied natural gas import project in Bangladesh.

ii.Petronet signed a MoU with with Petrobangla to set up a 7.5 million tonnes a year project to receive and regasify LNG on Kutubdia Island in Cox's Bazar and lay a 26-km pipline to connect it to the consumption markets.

SBI cuts lending rate by 0.9% across

i.Country’s largest lender SBI  cut benchmark interest rate across various maturities by 0.9 per cent, effective from 1st January  2017, a move that is expected to be shortly followed by other banks also.

ii.The bank has reduced marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 0.9 per cent from 8.90 per cent to 8 per cent for 1-year tenure 

Bharatiya Jananpith announces Navlekhan award 2016

i.Two new Hindi writers Shraddha and Ghyansham Kumar Devansh have been chosen for Bharatiya Jnanpith Navlekhan Award for the year 2016, the literary organisation announced .
ii.The decision to confer the award on Shraddha for her short story, 'Hawa Mein Phadphadati Chitthi' and on Devansh for his poem 'Akash Mein Deh' was taken unanimously by a selection panel chaired by eminent poet Vishnu Nagar.

NHPC CMD honoured at 10th ENERTIA Awards 2016

i.State-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Chairman and Managing Director K M Singh has been conferred the 'Power & Energy Persona's Award for Individual Excellence' at the 10th ENERTIA Awards 2016.

ii.India and South Asia's awards for excellence in sustainable energy and power. 

iii.Singh received the award from Former Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Upendra Tripathy.

Indian Origin Appointed To Top Military Post In Kyrgyzstan

i.An Indian-origin Saudi-based entrepreneur Shaikh Rafik Mohammed, who hails from Kerala has been appointed Major General of Kyrgyzstan, a rare military position occupied by an Indian in the Central Asian country. 

ii.He is appointed by Ali Mirza, Defence Minister of Kyrgyzstan at an official ceremony held in the country, Khaleej Times reported.

British-Indian professor knighted in New Year's honours

Shankar Balasubramanian, an Indian-origin British professor of chemistry and DNA expert at Cambridge University, has received a Knighthood for his contribution to the field of science and medicine along with Olympic stars Andy Murray and Mo Farah among others by Queen Elizabeth II for their contributions in respective field's.

Mian Saqib Nisar appointed as Chief Justice of Pak

i.Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has taken oath as the 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan. 
ii.The oath was administered by the country's President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House.

Air Marshal Anil Khosla takes over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command

i.Air Marshal Anil Khosla took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command on 1 January 2017. 

ii.As an Air Marshal he has held appointment of Senior Air Staff Officer, Central Air Command and Director General Air (Operations) at Air HQ, Vayu Bhawan. 

Somdev Devvarman announces retirement from professional tennis

i.India's star singles player Somdev Devvarman has announced his retirement from professional tennis.Somdev touched a career-high rank of number 62 in 2011. 

ii.He has two runners-up finishes on the ATP World Tour as his best performances on the Tour. He made the finals of Chennai and Johannesburg ATP events.

iii. Somdev also won Singles and Doubles medals in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Sivalingam Sathish Kumar of Railways clinches gold for sixth time

 i.Rio Olympian Sathish Sivalingam from Railways won the gold, for the sixth consecutive year, in the men's 77 kg category in the 69th men's and 32nd women's Senior National Weightlifting Championship, at the Ponjesly College of Engineering.

ii.Sivalingam Sathish lifted a total of 317 kg (141 (snatch) and 176 (clean & Jerk)) while Ajay Singh from Services won the gold in the clean & jerk category by lifting 177 kg and 137 kg in the snatch category and finished second with a total of 314 kg.

Rafael Nadal wins Mubadala Tennis Championships 2016 in Abu Dhabi

i.Rafael Nadal defeated David Goffin to win in Abu Dhabi.Rafael Nadal defeated Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 7-6 to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championships.

ii.Rafeal Nadal, 30, trailed at 1-3 in the first set but regained advantage over Goffin, who overcame world No.1 Andy Murray in the semi-finals.