Daily Current Affairs- 1st-4th January 2017

Dear Readers, we are presenting Daily Current Affairs for All Exams- 1st-4th January 2017. Daily Current Affairs and General Knowledge is very helpful for IBPS Bank Exams, SBI , RBI Assistant,NIACL, SSC and Railway Exams.

1. RBI appoints Surekha Marandi as executive director

1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Surekha Marandi as its Executive Director (ED). She was appointed in place of U S Paliwal who retired on December 31, 2016. 

2. In her new role, she will look after Consumer Education and Protection Department, Financial Inclusion and Development Department, and Secretary’s Department of the RBI.

2. Justice JS Khehar sworn in as 44th Chief Justice of India

1. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar was sworn in as 44th Chief Justice of India (CJI). He was administered oath to the office by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. 

2. With this, he became the first person from Sikh communitry to become the CJI. Justice Khehar succeeded Tirath Singh Thakur who retired on 3 January 2017. He will remain in office from January 4, 2017 till August 4, 2017 i.e. till he attains the age of 65.

3. China launches first freight train to London 

1. China launched its first freight train to London (Britain) with an aim to improve China-Britain trade ties, strengthen connectivity with Western Europe. 

2. The train departed from Yiwu West Railway Station in eastern Zhejiang Province of China. It will travel for about 18 days and more than 12,000 kilometers before reaching its destination in Britain.

4. SC sacks BCCI President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke

1. The Supreme Court has sacked Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Anurag Thakur and BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke after they failed to implement the reforms recommended by the Justice Lodha committee. 

2. The apex court held that Mr. Thakur and Mr. Shirke are unfit to continue at helm of BCCI for their obstructionist attitude and their incapacity to make affiliated State associations fall in line with Lodha committee.

5. Union Government launches mobile app for Haj Pilgrimage

1. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched Mobile App for Haj Pilgrimage. The app will provide information and facilitate e-payments for the pilgrimage. 

2. This is for the first time digital push has been given to the Haj application process. It is also a major initiative in the government’s ‘Digital India’ programme.

6. David R Syiemlieh appointed new UPSC chairman

1. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Prof David R Syiemlieh as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as per Article 316 of Constitution. 

2. He will take over from Alka Sirohi and shall remain the head of the organisation till his retirement on January 21, 2018 or till further orders. Prior to this appointment, he was functioning as a UPSC member from June 25, 2012.

7. Andhra Pradesh Government launches NTR Arogya Raksha Scheme

1. Andhra Pradesh Government has launched NTR Arogya Raksha Scheme to provide the medical treatment to the people below Above Poverty Line (APL) at Rs. 1200 premium per annum. 

2. It was launched by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada. The new health scheme offering medical insurance to those who were not covered under any of the existing health schemes of the state government.

8. ICBM Agni-IV successfully test-fired off Odisha coast

1. India successfully test-fired its home-grown long range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Agni-IV from the Abdul Kalam Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. 

2. The test was aimed at revalidating new technologies incorporated in Agni-IV system and checking the readiness of armed forces to launch the missile on its own.

9. Russia delivers advanced Sukhoi jets to China after two year delay 

1. Russia has finally delivered four fifth generation Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to China after a delay of two years. The Su-35 is an advanced version of the Su-30s operated by the Indian Airforce (IAF). 

2. Russia had feared that its fifth generation Su-35 jet will lose its value after Chinese military unveiled its J-20 stealth fighter. However, Russia did not change its stance on the export of the Su-35 until the J-20 fighter was unveiled. 

10. Delhi registers India’s highest per capita income 

1. National capital Delhi with Rs. 2,80,000 has registered the highest per capita income among all states and union territories of the country, during 2015-16. 

2. Delhi’s per capita income is over three times the national average i.e Rs. 93,293. It was followed by Chandigarh and Sikkim with per capita incomes of Rs.2,42,386 and Rs.2,27,465, respectively. 

11. India’s first transgender school opens in Kerala 

1. India’s first transgender school, Sahaj International, was inaugurated in Kochi, Kerala. It will be an alternative learning centre which will work in collaboration with the National Institute of Open Learning. 

2. The first batch of the school has 10 students and is headed by six transgenders working with the TransIndia Foundation. It will help the transgenders who dropped out of school to appear in Class X and XII examinations and will follow National Open School system. It will also provide various skill development programmes as part of the curriculum.

12. Indian origin Sheikh Rafik Mohammed appointed as Major General in Kyrgyzstan 

1. Sheikh Rafik Mohammed, Saudi-based entrepreneur of Indian origin (from Kerala) was appointed as Major General, a top position in the defence department of Kyrgyzstan. 

2. This is the first time a Keralite has been included in top military leadership of a foreign country. Rafik, who also holds Kyrgyzstan nationality earlier had worked as an adviser to the former President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev (2005-2010) whom he had met in Iran where the young Indian entrepreneur while developing a major steel plant.

13. Justice Saqib Nisar takes oath as 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan 

1. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was sworn in as the 25th chief justice of Pakistan. He was administered the oath to the office by President Mamnoon Hussain. 

2. Justice Nisar has replaced Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali who retired on after serving as chief justice for 15 months since his appointment in September 2015. He was the judge of the apex court since February 2010. Before that he was a judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC). 

14. Pakistan awards Nishan-e-Imtiaz to Army chief Qamar Bajwa 

1. Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain conferred the country’s highest civilian honour ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’ on Army chief Qamar Bajwa and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Zubair Hayat. The award was bestowed upon them in recognition of their services. 2. The award is given to civilians based on their achievements towards world recognition for Pakistan or outstanding service for the country. Earlier in December 2016, General Bajwa was chosen as Pakistan’s next Chief of Army Staff and General Hayat as the CJCSC.

15. Andy Murray conferred with Knighthood 

1. World number one tennis player Andy Murray (29) from Britain was conferred the Knighthood in the Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Honours list. 

2. With this he becomes youngest recipient of the Knighthood. The year 2016 was Murray’s most successful year as he had won the presitigeous Wimbledon title for the second time and defended his gold medal at the Rio Olympics. 

16. National Green Tribunal orders stay on Pune Metro Rail work 

1. The Western Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an interim stay on the proposed portion of Pune Metro Rail project route passing through the Mula-Mutha river bed in the city. 

2. The directive was given by a two-judge Bench of justices UD Salvi and Ajay Deshpande acting on an Environmental Interest Litigation (EIL) filed in the NGT by a group of prominent personalities.

17. BHIM becomes most popular Android app in the country 

1. Union Government’s online payments app Bharat Interface for Mobile (BHIM) has become the most popular Android app in the country days after it was launch. 

2. The Aadhaar-based payments app has topped the charts on Google’s Play Store in India. Since the launch the app was downloaded in 3 million times and over 5 lakh transactions have took place since then. Presently, the app is only available to download through Google Play Store on Android smartphones and soon will be available on iOS platform as well. 

18. Finland to pay unemployed basic income of USD 587 per month

 1. Finland became the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to 560 euros (USD 587). 

2. This announcement was made as part of a social experiment hoped to cut government red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment. It will be two-year trial in which 2,000 randomly picked citizens will receive unemployment benefits from January 1, 2017.

19. Paul Ryan re-elected as US House Speaker 

1. US lawmakers voted to retain congressman Paul Ryan as speaker of the House of Representatives. With this, Ryan will lead the 115th Congress before President elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on 20th January 2017.

20.  Paytm Payments Bank gets final RBI approval 

1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given in principle approval to Paytm Payments Bank Ltd, an entity majority owned by One97 Communication founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma. 

2. The Paytm payments bank is expected to start operations in February 2017 with its first branch in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. More than Rs. 200 crore has been invested till now for the payments banks.