Daily GK Updates - 4th January, 2017

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Cabinet approves ratifying an agreement between India, Uruguay regarding cooperation in Customs Matters: Cabinet has approved signing and ratifying an agreement between India and Uruguay regarding cooperation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters. The Agreement will help in the availability of relevant information for the prevention and investigation of customs offences.

2. Election commission announces poll dates for five state assemblies: The Election Commission today announced the dates for the assembly elections in five states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. Uttar Pradesh, the biggest state in the country, will go to polls in seven phases for 403 seats on 11th February, 15th February, 19th February, 23rd February, 27th February, 4th March and on 8th.

3. EPFO launches a campaign to enrol more workers, sets Re 1 fine for late registration: Encouraging firms to enrol their workers under schemes run by retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a three-month campaign has been launched beginning 1 January 2017 where employers will get amnesty and pay just Re 1 as damages for not registering their employees earlier.

4. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar sworn-in as 44^th Chief Justice of India.

5. Google introduces tool for small business in India: Google India has created two tools My Business and Digital Unlocked for the small and medium businesses in India, which would help to create an online presence, besides a digital training programme. It is an India first tool which introduced this year. Google My Business would help small businesses set up website from their mobile devices.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Nepal hosts Elephant Festival in Chitwan to boost tourism: The 13th edition of Nepal’s five-day Chitwan Elephant Festival kicked off in Kathmandu with the participation of over 50 elephants. The annual festival which brings fun, sports and adventure together was inaugurated on Monday in Sauraha, the gateway to Chitwan National Park.

2. Finland first country to introduce basic income for unemployed: Finland has become the first country in the world to pay a basic income to randomly picked citizens on a national level in an aiming at dismissing poverty, motivate people to join work force and decrease unemployment.

3. Britain Ambassador to the Europe Union quits: The U.K.’s ambassador to the European Union Ivan Rogers resigned from his post.Sir Mark Ivan Rogers KCMG (born 1960) is a senior British civil servant, who was the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union from 4 November 2013 until his resignation on 3 January 2017.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS:

1. Mithali Raj to lead India in Women’s World Cup Qualifier.

2. Brijesh Patel and other two KSCA office-bearers resign: Brijesh Patel, Ashok Anand and DayanandPai, have resigned from the posts of KSCA Secretary, President and Treasurer.