‘Removal of bogus staff caused dip in numbers’

06.04.2019

AICTE chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe told TOI that if sacked faculty members send him detailed complaints, he will look into the matter.

Relaxation in teacherstudent ratio cost 22,000 engineering faculty jobs in TN. How do you see this?

You should count the bogus faculty members shown in the earlier years. When the teacher-student ratio was 1:15, many colleges were not even maintaining a ratio of 1:30. Same faculty were shown in five different institutions. After linking Aadhaar number to PAN card, fake faculty members were removed. So the actual removal of faculty members is very, very little.

Colleges have submitted that they had more than 85,000 faculty members?

Due to poor admissions, some engineering disciplines were discontinued. Engineering colleges also cannot take the burden of all these faculty members. I am not saying there are no job cuts. But we have not received any such complaints.

Will AICTE act against colleges for sacking teachers?

Wherever we received specific complaints, we have taken action against managements. If the sacked faculty members come out with the name of the college and details, AICTE will look into it.

New I-T return forms seek more data from taxpayers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:06.04.2019

The government released on Friday new income tax return forms, which seek more disclosures from those who claim exemption on a large agricultural income, directors on the boards of companies, individuals with foreign assets or bank accounts as well as those holding shares in unlisted companies.

In a major change, the facility of filing paper returns will now be available only to those over 80 years. The government has said that ITR-1 or the Sahaj form will have to be filed by resident individuals with a total income of up to ₹50 lakh from salary or pension, one house property, other sources such as interest income, and agricultural income up to ₹5,000. Individuals are required to file their returns for FY2018-19 by July 31.

For the salaried, details of some of the allowances, such as house rent, leave travel, per diem, children’s education and relocation, too, will need to be shared. Earlier the tax authorities had sought details of taxable allowances but now there is a switch to exempt allowances.

“Several changes have been introduced to seek further details for cross-validation of income/information in an enhanced automated environment. This not only promises more efficiency for the government but also less questioning from tax authorities seeking further details while processing the returns. It will also help to check income escaping cases,” said Kuldip Kumar, partner at consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

₹60k cr direct tax shortfall in FY19

The Centre is expected to close 2018-19 with a ₹60,000 crore shortfall in direct tax collections with a ₹11.38 lakh crore mop-up (till Friday), compared to the revised target of ₹12 lakh crore. Only savings on the spending side can help the Centre meet its fiscal deficit target.P 17

KEEPING TAB
Additional info to help I-T dept check on non-resident tax payers

For instance, additional details need to be provided in case agricultural income exceeds ₹5 lakh, which will include the district with pin code where the land is owned, the measurement of land and irrigation details. Those with overseas assets will need to provide details of foreign depository account, foreign custodian accounts, equity and debt interest and particulars of overseas cash value insurance contract or annuity contract.

“Taxpayers need to be very careful this time and will need to collate additional details/reporting requirements well in advance this year, in order to be able to fulfil the reporting requirements prescribed in new ITR forms. We also expect greater automated scrutiny of ITRs, based on extensive data/details required and furnished in ITRs,” said Shailesh   Kumar, director at Nangia Advisors.

The tax department has also sought details from those who are nonresidents. “The tax return forms have clearly tried to bring more transparency through disclosures for globally mobile employees who avail of relief under tax treaty. Details of residence in foreign countries, along with tax identification number, additional disclosure of assets held outside India, basis of determination of residential status in India and availability of tax residency certificate from foreign countries are some of the additional details which would be required to be quoted in the return of income,” said Amarpal Chadha, partner at EY India.

This will help the government check if non-residents such as software professionals working overseas are paying taxes as information will now be available under the automatic information exchange protocol, explained PwC’s Kuldip Kumar.

Also, a break-up of cash and noncash donations made will need to be provided in case you want to claim tax benefits for contributions made under the PM Relief Fund or to an eligible blind school.

Chennai’s 'Richie Rich' candidate declares 'Rs 1.76 lakh crore' assets 

PTI

Published Apr 4, 2019, 12:53 pm IST

If taken at face value, Jebamani Janata party's J Mohanraj would have been the richest candidate in the entire country.


 
The affidavit, a copy of which has been uploaded in the Election Commission's website, was filed by Jebamani Janata party's J Mohanraj, a retired police inspector, along with his nomination for the by election on April 18. (Photo: Facebook)

Chennai: "Cash on hand Rs 1.76 lakh crore and debt of Rs four lakh crore" may sound outlandish, but the deliberate false declaration was made in his affidavit by a candidate for the by-election to the Perambur assembly segment in Tamil Nadu.

The figures, which sarcastically refer to the notional value of 2G spectrum scam and the debt burden of the Tamil Nadu government, were mentioned by the son of a freedom fighter in a bid to expose chinks in the Election Commission's screening process of the mandatory declaration.

The affidavit, a copy of which has been uploaded in the Election Commission's website, was filed by Jebamani Janata party's J Mohanraj, a retired police inspector, along with his nomination for the by election on April 18.

If taken at face value, he would have been the richest candidate in the entire country.

Asked why he made the false declaration, Mohanraj, son of freedom fighter Jebamani, alleged that the 2G Spectrum case was not properly probed and it was his attempt to draw the attention to this aspect.

On the Rs 4 lakh crore debt he declared he owed to the World Bank in the "dues" column, the 67-year old retired police inspector told PTI it was a pointer to the Tamil Nadu government's "administrative inefficiency," which resulted in a huge debt burden to the tune of about Rs 4 lakh crore.

In the 2019-20 budget, the Tamil Nadu government had said the outstanding debt by the end of March 2020 will be Rs 3,97,495.96 crore.

Mohanraj, who had declared Rs 1,977 crore as his deposits in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections when he filed his papers to contest from south Chennai, said he chose to present a fake declaration for one more purpose.

"You can declare whatever you want in the affidavit. The Election Commission will do nothing," he claimed and demanded that false declarations be made a criminal offence. Asked if action was taken against him for making such a declaration in 2009, he said, "I did not even get a notice."

He claimed that making false declarations was a criminal offence and it was made a civil matter only on April 26, 2014.

"This was done to protect a political bigwig who had concealed information about his assets while filing nomination from a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu," he claimed.

An official had come out in the open about the bigwig and "it is in the public domain," he said.

Mohanraj said he was tired of writing to several authorities, including the Election Commission, seeking to make false declarations a criminal offence. "This (by making a false declaration to draw attention) is my way of working for the betterment of the nation," he said.

Mohanraj took voluntary retirement from the police department and said he did not mention that he owned a house in the declaration.

The only truth about his declaration was that his spouse had 13 sovereigns gold worth about Rs 2.50 lakh and Rs 20,000 cash on hand. "I mentioned Rs 3 lakh as jewel loan. But these jewels were auctioned."

Why Tamil Nadu people say they will not refuse bribes for votes

The state population feels that honesty is no longer a virtue reflected by the government machinery, especially at the lower rungs with which people interact.

Published: 05th April 2019 03:08 AM

By J Santhosh

Express News Service

SIVAGANGA: Voters are the kings in a democracy and hence they should not beg, said a popular actor in an awareness video released by the Election Commission. He was referring to voter bribing. “But my wife asks whether they (government officials) are not demanding bribe from us even for a simple signature? So why should we not take it for our votes,” asks M Karuppaiah of Naattarasan Kottai, a village near Sivaganga.

Tamil Nadu has in recent elections earned the dubious distinction of widespread voter bribing. Now it has almost become common knowledge that voter bribing is one of the assured ways to win an election in the State. The blame is placed as much on the people, as on political parties. But people in the State’s hinterland point to the plain reality. Honesty is no longer a virtue reflected by the government machinery, especially at the lower rungs with which people interact. So, why expect it from people alone? voters ask.


R Senthil, who is the community head of Kandanipatti village, says, “They (politicians) are taking our money. So they are simply returning it to us during elections. This is how many are seeing it.” The presence of Election Commission officials is felt everywhere in the highways, despite the sultry summer. Almost every vehicle is checked. But the villagers are confident that the politicians are capable of somehow delivering the money to them. Almost every villager seems to know the other village where recently cash was recently distributed and they say they will not turn it down when they too are offered money.

KR Gnanam, who runs a roadside eatery on the outskirts of Sivaganga town is one of the few who is worried about the trend. “People are taking bribes for votes. What can be done?” she says after placing a serious of complaints against the way politicians in the country are conducting themselves.

Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency is seeing a high profile battle between Congress’s Karti Chidambaram and BJP’s H Raja. There are a total of 26 candidates in the fray in the constituency. So, will the winner be the one who manages to bribe voters the most? Not everyone seems to be in agreement on that. “It is a sin if we take money from a person and not vote for him,” says Karuppaiah. But not many feel they must be so honest towards politicians. For instance, A Muthu, a shepherd in the barren lands between villages around Sivaganga, says people don’t feel any obligation to vote only for those who give them a bribe. “Why should we vote for them? They cheat us after taking our votes. So, we can also cheat them after taking their money.” he says.

Other common question posed by the villagers is: what to do when more than one party has given them bribes? Some said they solve the problem by one dividing the votes within the family between the parties that has given them money. Many said they do not feel any obligation to vote only for the party that has given them bribes. The money they took from parties does not comes in the way when ultimately deciding whom to vote. But the common man in the villages has a clear message: they are the real victims of lack of honesty in the government machinery and if we have to stop this cycle, the starting point should be the government, not them, voters point out.

Read more at Medical Dialogues: PG Medical Courses: Govt extends of last date MCI applications by medical colleges 

https://medicaldialogues.in/pg-medical-courses-govt-extends-of-last-date-mci-applications-by-medical-colleges/

Indian nurse leaves Saudi Arabia after long battle

IANS | Mar 24, 2019, 10.56 PM IST

JEDDAH: An Indian nurse who was stranded in Saudi Arabia along with her newborn baby following a dispute with her employer has finally left the Kingdom after a long legal battle.
Though Tintu Stephen, 28, had won a ruling in her favour from the labour court in Abha, she was barred from leaving the kingdom as her employed filed an appeal in the higher court, the Saudi Gazette reported.

However, in a rare move, the passport authorities granted her an exit-only visa without the consent of her employer after the intervention of the Saudi Human Rights Commission and other high-ranking officials, it said. She left for India on Saturday.

The employer had asked Stephen to deposit a guarantee money to ensure her return to Saudi Arabia after vacation to continue on her job until the contract period was over. The employer also filed a lawsuit in the court.

But the court rejected the employer's demand, paving the way for her return home.

The troubles for Stephen, a resident of Kottayam in Kerala, began when she sought maternity leave to go home in the early stages of her pregnancy, the Gazette said.

Her employer, a polyclinic in Abha where she worked as a staff nurse, delayed her request citing one or the other reason, according to Stephen.

She was arrested at Abha airport based on a complaint filed by her employer as she was about to board a flight to India, the daily said. She was freed on bail and eventually gave birth to a baby girl.

What prevented her from traveling back home after delivery was a runaway report filed by her employer.

Stephen then approached the governorate seeking justice and got the runaway report lifted.

When the court issued a judgment in Stephen's favour, the employer declined to issue her an exit visa saying he would file an appeal in the high court.

The aggrieved nurse, with the help of Indian Consulate representatives Ashraf Kuttichal and Biju Nair, then approached the Asir governorate and the Saudi Human Rights Commission.

Subsequently, the director general of passports in Asir Province issued her an exit-only visa without the consent of her employer, which is a rare move in the Kingdom, the report said.

Stephen came to Saudi Arabia on February 7, 2017 on a three-year contract. She said her recruitment agent had assured her that though her contract was for a three-year period, she could avail of annual vacations. She traveled home after one year to get married.

After spending a month in India, Stephen returned to work on May 19, 2018 only to realize that she was pregnant.

Now you can choose if you want to be added to a WhatsApp group

The messaging app has added that a new privacy setting in which an invite system will help users decide who can add them to groups.

Published: 03rd April 2019 06:56 PM 

For representational purposes (File Photo | Reuters)

By PTI

NEW DELHI: WhatsApp Wednesday said it will now allow its users to decide whether they want to get added to groups on the instant messaging platform.

The move assumes significance, especially ahead of elections in the country, as social media platforms are expected to play a major role in political campaigns to reach out to citizens in large numbers.

"WhatsApp groups continue to connect family, friends, coworkers, classmates and more. As people turn to groups for important conversations, users have asked for more control over their experience," the Facebook-owned company said in a statement.

The messaging app has added that a new privacy setting in which an invite system will help users decide who can add them to groups.


Previously, WhatsApp users could be added to groups without their consent.

To enable the feature, users can go to 'settings' option in WhatsApp app and select one of three options -- 'nobody', 'my contacts,' or 'everyone'.

"If they choose 'nobody', users will have to approve joining every group to which they are invited. Upon choosing 'my contacts' option, users from the person's address book will be able to add them to groups. In these cases, the person inviting you to a group will be prompted to send a private invite through an individual chat, giving the user choice of joining the group."

The user will be given three days to accept the invite before it expires, the statement said.

"With these new features, users will have more control over the group messages they receive," WhatsApp said.

These new privacy settings will begin rolling out to some users starting Wednesday, and will be available worldwide in the coming weeks to those using the latest version of WhatsApp, it added.

WhatsApp, which counts India as one of its largest markets with over 200 million users, had faced flak from the Indian government after a series of mob-lynching incidents, triggered by rumours circulating on the messaging platform, claimed lives last year.

Under pressure to stop rumours and fake news, WhatsApp had last year restricted forwarding messages to five chats at once.

It has also been putting out advertisements in newspapers and running television and radio campaigns offering tips to users on how to spot misinformation.

With ensuing general elections, the Indian government had warned social media platforms of strong action if any attempt was made to influence the country's electoral process through undesirable means.

One of the amendments being mulled in the IT intermediary rules (meant for online and social media platforms) will require them to enable tracing out of such originators of information as needed by government agencies that are legally authorised.

However, WhatsApp has so far resisted the government's demand for identifying message originators, arguing that such a move would undermine the end-to-end encryption and the private nature of the platform, creating potential for serious misuse.