Important Current Affairs 26 February 2017 PDF Capsule

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We bring you the Latest  (Gk)General Knowledge, Daily Current Affairs news, Events, General awareness Today  26th February 2017 Section in FREE PDF (English & Hindi), a section which outlines the latest important news, Events headlines which are hardly covered elsewhere.

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NATIONAL NEWS

EPFO introduces single page composite claim form for withdrawing money

Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), the retirement body of India, on 21 February 2017 introduced single page composite claim form. 
●    The form will allow its subscribers to withdraw money from their PF account at an ease.
●    Earlier, employees/subscribers were supposed to fill and submit three different forms to EPFO for withdrawing provident fund for different purposes.
●    The form does not require employers’ attestation, but the facility will be applicable only for those subscribers whose Aadhaar number and bank account details are seeded with their Universal Account Number (UAN).
●    Subscribers who want to seed Aadhaar and bank details with their Universal Account Number will have to fill a new composite claim form, which replaces the existing Forms 19, 10C and 31 for filing claims. 
●    The new single-page form can be submitted with the attestation of employers.

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ECONOMY

CBEC launched a mobile application for Goods and Services Tax

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) on 23 February 2017 launched a mobile application for Goods and Services Tax (GST). The app will inform the taxpayers of the latest updates on GST among others.
●    The mobile application for GST was launched in-line to the Union Government’s Digital India Initiative. The application will provide latest updates on GST to the taxpayers.
●    The application will help taxpayers to access certain information related to the GST like
●    Migration to GST-Approach and guidelines for migration
●    Draft Law-Model GST Law, GST Compensation and Law IGST Law
●    Draft Rules-Rules related to Registration, Payment, Returns, Refund and Invoice
●    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on GST
●    Various resources on GST like videos and articles among others
●    Links related to website as well as email and helpdesk contacts
●    At present, the application is available for the android platforms. The iOS version of the application will be launched soon.
 

APPOINTMENTS

Former Nagaland CM Zeliang appointed as Finance Advisor to state government

TR Zeliang, the former Chief Minister of Nagaland, was appointed as the finance advisor to the state government on 25 February 2017. He was appointed as the finance advisor in the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
●    An official releases said, ‘Zeliang, appointed by the Governor PB Acharya, will receive the pay and allowances and all other facilities admissible to a cabinet minister’.
●    Zeliang has resigned from the chief ministership on 19 February 2017. 
●    He resigned from the post on the protest and demand of the Joint Coordination Committee and Nagaland Tribal Action Committee. His resignation was demanded his decision to hold elections to urban bodies with 33 per cent reservation for women.
●    From 2014 to February 2017, he had served Nagaland as its Chief Minister.
●    Born on 21 February 1952, Zeliang is a political leader of Nagaland People's Front.
●    He resigned from the office of chief minister of the state in the backdrop of protests in the state.
●    Earlier, he had served India as a Member of Parliament. In Parliament, he represented his state in the Rajya Sabha.

NATIONAL NEWS

 PM Modi unveils 112 ft bust of 'Adiyogi’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 February 2017 unveiled the 112-foot bust of ‘Adiyogi’ or Lord Shiva at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. The statue is located in the foothills of Velliangiri Mountains in the Western Ghats.
●    The bust was unveiled on the occasion of the Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva.
●    The bust of the Adiyogi was built in eight months by an NGO Isha Foundation. The foundation said the iconic 112-ft face of the first yogi was consecrated in celebration of the 112 methods that Lord Shiva offered towards self-transformation.
●    Before inaugurating the metallic statue face of Lord Shiva, Modi visited the Isha yoga centre and attended the Pancha Bhuta Aradhana function.
●    While addressing the gathering, PM Modi lauded the practice of yoga and said that the practice has transcended from generations and is popularly known that the journey of man from soul to Shiva is Yoga. He said, it is old, yet new.
●    Besides, before unveiling the Adiyogi bust, Modi released the book 'Adiyoga: The source of Yoga', which deals with yogic sciences.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India to provide financial assistance to Bangladesh for development of Sylhet city

India and Bangladesh on 24 February 2017 signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide financial assistance to Bangladesh for sustainable development of Sylhet, a north-eastern Bangladeshi city.
●    Under the MoU three development projects will be taken up in Sylhet. These projects will be developed at an expense of around Taka 240 million.
●    Projects for which financial aid will be provided under the tripartite agreement are
●    India will provide financial aid for construction of a five-storey Kinder Garten and High School Building
●    Financial aid will be provided for construction of a six-storey cleaner colony building
●    Financial aid will be provided for some development work in Dhupa Dighirpar area
●    The tripartite agreement was signed in Sylhet by Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division Additional Secretary Shah Md. Aminul Haque and Sylhet City Corporation CEO Enamul Habib.
●    The signing was the follow-up of an earlier MoU which was signed between India and Bangladesh in April 2013 for the implementation of sustainable development projects in socio-economic sectors of Bangladesh.

GLOBAL NEWS

 Trump administration revokes law protecting transgender students

 US President Donald Trump’s administration on 22 February 2017 rolled back Obama’s protection law for transgender students that allowed them to use the bathroom and locker room of their choice in public schools.
●    In May 2016, Barack Obama had instructed all the public schools in the United States to allow transgender students to openly choose their gender identity and use the bathrooms and locker rooms that matched with it. 
●    This measure was taken in accordance with Title IX, the federal law that bars gender discrimination in education.
●    It was seen by the transgender community as a huge progress in their fight for equal rights. 
●    Trump’s administration revoked the protection arguing that the state and public schools should have the authority to make their own decisions without interference from federal authority.
●    The decision to revoke the order was announced by the Department of Justice and Department of Education.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India, Uganda agreed to cooperate in space programme and atomic energy

 India and Uganda on 22 February 2017 agreed to cooperate in various fields like the space programme, vocational training and peaceful use of atomic energy. 
●    The agreements were announced in a joint press conference by the Vice President Hamid Ansari and Ugandan President Yoweri Kauta Museveni in State House at Entebbe, the official residence of President.
●    VP Ansari was in Uganda during the second leg of 2-nation of his visit to East Africa, namely Rwanda and Uganda. He was in Rwanda from 19 February to 21 February 2017 and in Uganda from 21 February to 23 February 2017.
●    Besides these agreements, the Vice President held talks with President Yoweri Museveni at the State House. 
●    During this meet, the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation. They also committed to work together in trade, investment, agriculture, defence cooperation and IT among others.
●    In addition, President Museveni called Indian companies to manufacture automobiles locally, which would help the country in discouraging import of cars. 
●    It seems that this call for assembling and manufacturing vehicles locally in Uganda would provide a new market to Indian manufacturers.