TN seeks GST exemption for 26 univ fees

Siddharth Prabhakar | TNN | Updated: Nov 23, 2017, 01:29 IST

 

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government plans to table a note, arguing for exemption of fees collected uder 26 heads by universities from the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), at the next GST council meet.

These include tuition, lab and library fees, money collected for affiliation and inspection and funds received for research services not leading to commercialisation of research output, services carried out for government and purchases for academic activities.

Currently, higher eductation institutes (HEIs), even public institutions, are not exempt from paying GST.

The note, circulated to the commercial taxes department, was prepared by the higher education department after the central excise commissionerate in Madurai sought data on service charges on fees collected over the last three years and reasons for not paying service tax. Universities fear there might be retrospective collection of service tax along with GST.

The basic argument is that higher education is heavily subsidised by the government to benefit the masses and levying a tax on it would be make it out of reach for many.

As per the 'rate of GST on services' under higher education, only three services provided by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and government-supported skill development programmes offered by private institutes are GST-exempt.

The state has classified the fees it wants exempted into three categories.

The first category comprises money collected to perform regulatory services like affiliation of colleges, recognition of courses and teachers and inspections. These are essential to ensure minimum standards are met in infrastructure, quality of teaching and other requirements. "This is not different from the regulatory services provided by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), SEBI and IRDAI, which are GST-exempt. Hence universities should also be exempt," a senior official said.

It also wants conducting graduate, post-graduate and research courses, exams, sports and cultural events, convocations and distribution of certificates exempt. "These are far below costs of services and are subsidised by grants from the government," the official said.

The third category is the funds and expenditure on research activities funded by government agencies like UGC, ICSSR, DST, FIST and international bodies like World Bank, IMF, WHO, UNICEF and collaborative research with foreign universities. "These are funded to develop research and there is no commercial consideration both for the research and funding institution. It actually enhances learning opportunities of students assisting researchers," the official said.

Copying in UPSC exam: IPS officer gets bail

tnn | Updated: Nov 23, 2017, 01:34 IST

 

Chennai: More than three weeks after facing the ignominy of being caught while copying in civil services examination conducted by the UPSC and arrested too, IPS probationer Safeer Karim is set to come out of jail on bail.

On Wednesday, concurring with the submissions of advocate R C Paul Kanagaraj, the principal sessions judge S Subadevi granted conditional bail to the 29-year-old IPS officer. The judge directed him to appear before CB-CID twice daily — at 9.30am and 5.30pm — until further orders.

On October 30, Safeer Karim was found using gadgets such as micro camera, earpieces and two mobile phones stuck on his person during main examinations for civil services. His wife and his friend were picked up from the family-managed coaching institute in Hyderabad. His wife, who had to live in jail with their months-old child, was granted bail by a metropolitan magistrate court.

'Threatened, tricked', TN man flown to Cairo for job, but returns without kidney

Sumitra Debroy | TNN | Nov 23, 2017, 06:48 IST

 

Yaseer Ahmed Basha, 29, leads a lonely life away from his wife and two children at his native village of Vellore in Tamil Nadu. "I am worried that if we live in the same house, my wife will find out that I no longer have two kidneys. I miss my children but I am better off without my wife knowing anything about it," he told TOI on Wednesday over phone.

Basha, father to a six-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter, is unaware that he too is now an accused in the international kidney racket for selling his left kidney to Malad resident Pankaj Rao. He maintained that he was threatened and tricked into giving his kidney after he went to Cairo in July with the promise of driving an Uber cab. "It was 99% deception, but 1% my greed for money," he said. He now makes a living driving an autorickshaw in his village to support his parents there and his family in Taloja.

Burdened by a 7 lakh debt borrowed from his friends after his wife met with an accident in 2011, Basha said the money he earned by driving an auto was "never enough". He migrated to Mumbai in 2014 and began driving aggregator cabs. When things did not look up, he started looking for jobs on the web. That's when he came in contact with Ahmedabad-based Shiksha Consultancy, which was run by the racket mastermind Suresh Prajapati.

"I first travelled to Ahmedabad in June and was put up in Akash Lodge. Oddly, I was asked to give my blood samples. When I questioned them, Prajapati said international jobs require proof of physical fitness. Things started moving promptly, and on July 15, I was sent to Cairo," he said. At Cairo, Basha said he was received by an individual named Madhu who took him to an apartment, where five people were already staying. The very next day he was taken to Nile Badrawi Hospital for a battery of blood tests and scans.

Karthigai Deepam festival: Southern Railway to run Tirunelveli - Thiruvannamalai special train

Arockiaraj | TNN | Nov 22, 2017, 19:23 IST

MADURAI: The Southern Railway has announced special fare special trains to clear extra rush of passengers during the Karthigai Deepam festival. The trains will be operated from Coimbatore, Thiruvannamalai, Chennai Egmore and Tirunelveli.

Number 06024 Tirunelveli - Tiruvannamalai special fare special train will leave Tirunelveli at 5pm on December 1 and reach Tiruvannamalai at 7am the next day.

Number 06023 Tiruvannamalai - Tirunelveli special fare special train will leave Tiruvannamalai at 11.30pm on December 2 and reach Tirunelveli at 11.45am the next day.

These trains will have 1 AC first class-cum-AC 2-tier, 1 AC 2-tier, 3 AC 3-tier, 10 sleeper class, 3 general second class and 2 luggage-cum-brake van coaches. They will stop at Vanchi Maniyachchi, Kovilpatti, Satur, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Tiruchchirappalli, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram and Tirukkovilur.

Number 06022 Coimbatore - Tirunelveli special fare special train via Pollachi, Dindigul and Madurai will leave Coimbatore at 7.30pm on November 30 and reach Tirunelveli at 4.30am the next day.

The train will have 1 AC first class-cum-AC 2-tier, 1 AC 2-tier - 1, 3 AC 3-tier, 10 sleeper class, 3 general second class and 2 luggage-cum-brake van coaches. It will stop at Podanur, Kinaththukkadavu, Pollachi, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Dindigul, Kodaikkanal Road, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Satur, Kovilpatti and Vanchi Maniyachchi.

Number 06020 Tirunelveli - Chennai Egmore special fare special train will leave Tirunelveli at 5.15pm on December 3 and reach Chennai Egmore at 9am the next day.


The train will have 1 AC first class-cum-AC 2-tier - 1, 1 AC 2-tier, 3 AC 3-tier, 10 sleeper class, 3 general second class and 2 luggage-cum-brake van coaches. It will stop at Vanchi Maniyachchi, Kovilpatti, Satur, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Dindigul, Tiruchchirappalli, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram, Chengalpet and Tambaram.

Advance reservations for these special fare special trains will begin at 8am on Thursday (November 23), according to a statement from the Southern Railway.

Arson on Sathyabama University campus after girl caught copying kills herself

A Selvaraj | TNN | Nov 22, 2017, 23:46 IST

 

 

 CHENNAI: Protests erupted at Sathyabama University on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) on Wednesday night after an 18-year-old first year computer science student committed suicide in her hostel after being caught copying in an exam, police said. After dinner, as the news spread, several students torched furniture at the college and the hostel. A police team conducted an inquiry but no one was arrested.

Police identified the deceased as Duvvuru Monica Reddy of Andhra Pradesh and said she was writing the chemistry paper in her semester exam when she was found copying. The invigilator informed other officials and she was asked to leave the hall," a police officer said.

A university official told TOI that the girl was caught copying from a 10x12 paper. The usual consequence of such examination-related malpractice is that the student would be debarred for one examination and the family intimated. The girl went back to her hostel, and apparently sent an SMS to her twin Rakesh who was also writing the examination in the same hall.
Her brother saw the text message only after the examination, rushed to her hostel and requested her friends to check her room. Monica Reddy was found hanging and rushed to hospital, where she was declared dead.

The university official said there was no unrest on campus till dinner time and that students had taken their food and evening snacks in the mess without any trouble. It is not clear if the death has any direct link to the late evening campus unrest and arson committed by students, he said, adding that university authorities would think about future course of action, including declaring leave, by Thursday.

The parents of the victim are on their way from Hyderabad, police said.

TN man goes to Bengaluru after locking 80-year-old mother at home

Padmini Sivarajah | TNN | Nov 22, 2017, 20:04 IST

 

 

Sadguru, 80, who had been neglected by her son

 

MADURAI: Police have registered a case against a retired revenue inspector for leaving his octogenarian mother locked in his home at Karaikudi in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu.

Police said Sadguru, 80, had been living with her son, K Rajendran of Prabu Nagar, after the demise of her husband, Kathiresan, a few years ago. She was unable to walk, police said.

Around ten days ago, Rajendran went to Bengaluru with his family, after locking his mother in a room near the front portion of his house. He had kept some food and a few bottles of mineral water near her bed.

Neighbours heard her feeble cries on Tuesday morning. They found the house locked and alerted the Karaikudi North police.

The police reached the spot and broke open the door. They found the old woman sitting on the floor in a hapless position. She seemed to be emaciated. Some stale food and a few bottles of water were found near her.

Sub-inspector Parthiban informed the woman's daughter, Muthulakshmi, who is living in the same area. Muthulakshmi reached there. Sadguru told her daughter that she had not been able to eat food.

Muthulakshmi alleged that her brother had ill-treated their mother and that he had done so with an eye on her property.

Muthulakshmi took her mother home.

The police registered a case against Rajendran under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

மினிமம் பேலன்ஸ் பற்றி கவலை இல்லாமல் எஸ்பிஐயில் வங்கிக் கணக்குத் தொடங்க விருப்பமா?

Published on : 21st November 2017 05:57 PM



வங்கிக் கணக்கில் குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகை இல்லை என்றாலும் அபராதம் வசூலிக்காமல் இருக்கும் வகையில் எஸ்பிஐ வங்கி புதிய வங்கிக் கணக்கை அறிமுகப்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

வங்கிக் கணக்கில் குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகை இல்லை என்றால் அபராதம் வசூலிக்கும் நடைமுறையால் பலர் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.

இந்த நிலையில், குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகை இல்லாவிட்டாலும் வங்கிக் கணக்கில் அபராதம் வசூலிக்காத வகையில் ஒரு வங்கிக் கணக்கை ஸ்டேட் பேங்க் ஆஃப் இந்தியா அறிமுகப்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

அதாவது எஸ்பிஐயின் பேஸிக் சேவிங்ஸ் அக்கவுண்டில், வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் கணக்குத் தொடங்கினால் அதில் குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகையை வைத்திருக்க வேண்டிய அவசியமில்லை என்று தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகை என்ற மிகப்பெரிய சுமையால், ஏழை, எளிய மக்கள் பாதிக்கப்படக் கூடாது, அவர்களது சேமிக்கும் கனவு தவிடுபொடியாகக் கூடாது என்பதற்காக நாட்டின் மிகப்பெரிய வங்கியான ஸ்டேட் பாங்க் ஆஃப் இந்தியா இந்த சேவையை தொடங்கியுள்ளது.

எந்தவொரு தனி நபரும் உரிய ஆவணங்களை அளித்து இந்த வங்கிக் கணக்கைத் தொடங்கலாம்.

அது பற்றிய சில சந்தேகங்களும்.. பதில்களும் இங்கே
இந்த வங்கிக் கணக்கில் ஏடிஎம் அட்டை வழங்கப்படுமா?
இந்த வங்கிக் கணக்கைத் தொடங்கும் வாடிக்கையாளருக்கு ரூபே ஏடிஎம் - டெபிட் கார்டு எந்த கட்டணமும் இல்லாமல் வழங்கப்படும். அதே போல, ஆண்டு பராமரிப்புக் கட்டணம் எதுவும் வசூலிக்கப்படாது.

வட்டி விகிதம்
இந்த வங்கிக் கணக்கில் வைத்திருக்கும் பணத்துக்கும், பிற வங்கிக் கணக்கில் இருக்கும் தொகைக்கு வழங்கப்படும் அதே வட்டி வழங்கப்படும்.

குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகை?
இந்த வங்கிக் கணக்குக்கு குறைந்தபட்ச இருப்புத் தொகை என்பது இல்லை.

சேவைக் கட்டணங்கள்?
என்இஎஃப்டி அல்லது ஆர்டிஜிஎஸ் வழியாக ரொக்கமற்ற பணப்பரிவர்த்தனைக்கு கட்டணம் எதுவும் இல்லை.

மத்திய, மாநில அரசுகள் அளிக்கும் காசோலைகள் அல்லது நேரடியாக இருப்பு வைக்கும் தொகைகளுக்குக் சேவைக் கட்டணம் கிடையாது.

கணக்கை முடிக்கவும், கணக்கை புதுப்பிக்கவும் கட்டணம் இல்லை.

வங்கிக் கணக்குத் தொடங்க ஒரே ஒரு விதிமுறைதான்..

அது என்னவென்றால், இந்த பேஸிக் சேவிங் அக்கவுண்டில் கணக்குத் தொடங்க விரும்புவோருக்கு, எஸ்பிஐ வங்கியின் எந்த கிளையிலும் எந்த வங்கிக் கணக்கும் இருக்கக் கூடாது. ஒரு வேளை ஒரு வாடிக்கையாளருக்கு எஸ்பிஐயில் சேமிப்புக் கணக்கு இருக்கும்பட்சத்தில், அந்த கணக்கை முடித்துவிட்டு 30 நாட்களுக்குப் பிறகு இந்த கணக்கைத் தொடங்கலாம்.

இந்த கணக்கு வைத்திருப்பவர்கள் ஒரு மாதத்துக்கு ஏடிஎம், இதர ஏடிஎம், பணப்பரிமாற்றம் என அனைத்து வகையையும் சேர்த்து 4 முறை மட்டுமே பணம் எடுக்கலாம். அதற்கு மேல் எடுக்க அனுமதிக்கப்படாது.

யார் யார் இதற்கு தகுதியானவர்கள்?
எஸ்பிஐயில் சேமிப்புக் கணக்கு தொடங்க தகுதி கொண்ட அனைவருமே இந்த கணக்கையும் தொடங்கலாம்.

எத்தனை வகை உண்டு?
தனிநபர், இருநபர் இணைந்து.

எந்த கிளைகளில் இந்த வசதி உண்டு?

எஸ்பிஐயின் அனைத்து வங்கிக் கிளைகளிலும் இந்த வகையான வங்கி கணக்குத் தொடங்கப்படும் என்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.