Areas Needing Special Permission for Entry by Indians and Foreigners

Areas Needing Special Permission for Entry by Indians and Foreigners

Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the ‘Inner line’ and the “International Border of the State” have been declared as Protected Area. Currently, Protected Areas are located in the following States:- (i) Whole of Arunachal Pradesh (ii) Parts of Himachal Pradesh (iii) Parts of Jammu & Kashmir (iv) Parts of Rajasthan (v) Whole of Sikkim(partly in Protected Area and partly in Restricted Area) Further, under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963, the following areas have been declared as ‘Restricted Areas’:- (i) Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Entire Union Territory (ii) Sikkim - Part of the State A foreigner is not normally allowed to visit a Protected/Restricted Area unless it is established to the satisfaction of the Government, that there are extraordinary reasons to justify such a visit. Every foreigner, except a citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in a Protected or Restricted Area, is required to obtain a special permit from a competent authority delegated with powers to issue such a special permit to a foreigner. In cases where the powers have not been delegated to any subordinate authority by the Government of India, the application for special permit should be referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs for prior approval. Special Permission for entry by Indians (i) Inner Line Permit (ILP) regulates visit of Indians to States where ILP regime is prevalent under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. In terms of of Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, the Inner Line Permit system is prevalent in the three North Eastern States, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Citizens of other States require ILP for visiting these three States. (ii) According to Section 3(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961, the Central Government may by notification in the Official Gazette, declare any area adjoining the frontiers of India to be a notified area and thereupon on and after such day as may be specified in, and subject to any exemptions for which provision may be made in the said notification, no person who was not immediately before the said day a resident in the area declared to be a notified area by the notification, shall enter or attempt to enter that area or be therein, except in accordance with the terms of a permit in writing granted to him by a person, not below the rank of a Magistrate of the First Class, specified in the said notification The main aim of ILP system is to prevent settlement of other Indian nationals in the States where ILP regime is prevalent, in order to protect the indigenous/tribal population. Notification under Section 3(1) of Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961 is issued in the interest of the safety or security of India or in the public interest. With a view to promote tourism, some protected/restricted areas, notified by the Government of India from time to time, can be visited by foreign tourists, either in groups, or as a couple in the case of a husband and wife, or by individuals, after obtaining the necessary permit from the competent authority. Powers have been delegated to various authorities to issue the special permit, without the prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs, to facilitate foreign tourists subject to the following exceptions: (i) Special instructions applicable to foreign diplomats and members of the United Nations and International Organisations holding Diplomatic/Official Passport are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. (ii) Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin shall not be issued a special permit without the prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This was stated by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri R.P.N.Singh in Rajya Sabha today. **** KSD/SAMIR /SK /ASY (Release ID :92687)

I-Card for Residents of Border Areas

I-Card for Residents of Border Areas

The Government has approved a Scheme to create National Population Register (NPR) and issue Resident Identity Cards to all usual residents of age 18 years and above in 3331 coastal villages in 13 maritime States/ Union Territories namely, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry as one of the measures for strengthening coastal security. All the towns in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have also been covered. An amount of Rs. 216.31 crore has been approved by the government for creation of NPR in these coastal villages and issue of resident identity cards. The data collection has already been completed in these areas. The demographic data has been collected for 1.2 crore people and biometrics (photograph and ten finger-prints) for 67.3 lakh people. The work of personalization and production of Identity Cards have been undertaken by a consortium of Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), namely, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL) and ITI Ltd. (ITIL). As on date, more than 62.04 lakh cards have been personalized and produced. The Resident Identity Cards have been dispatched directly to the residents by Department of Post through a secure Speed Post. As on date, more than 48.06 lakh cards have been dispatched. This was stated by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Mullapally Ramachandran in Lok Sabha today. **** KSD/SAMIR /ASY/PKM (Release ID :92545)

How do I get my Form 26AS?

Form 26AS is available online on the income tax website, and you can view it by quoting your PAN number, once you register yourself on the income tax website. You can even download it in the PDF or Excel format and keep it as a record with you.

Here are the steps to register and view your Form 26AS:

1. Go to income tax filing website: www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
   
2. As a New User, you need to click on 'Register', and register your PAN and password along with other details required in the registration form
   
3. Once you are registered, go to the Login page, or Click on "View Form 26AS (Tax Credit)", which will ask for your login details.
   
4. Post login, in the "My Account" section, you can click on the sub section - "View Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS)"
   
5. Choose the Assessment Year for which you need to view your tax credit statement, enter your Date of Birth and click SUBMIT
   
6. It will ask for a confirmation and redirect you to NSDL website to view your form 26AS
   
7. Click on "View Form 26AS" to get your Form 26AS
   

While the income tax filing website provides you with Form 26AS post registration; being a customer of technically advanced bank, you can also get direct link to your Form 26AS through your net banking account. Many banks like SBI, IDBI Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank etc as a feature in their internet banking facility, also provide a direct link to its customers to view their Form 26AS. By clicking on the link, you will be directly routed to TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System (TRACES) website, where can directly see your tax credit statement (earlier it routed you to NSDL website).

What will you see in your Form 26AS?

Your tax credit statement broadly consists of 5 parts:

• Part A - Details of Tax Deducted at Source: It shows details of all the transactions where the Tax has been deducted at Source for any payments made to you (mapped against your PAN) and has been submitted to the income tax department. It shows the Name and TAN of the deductor along with the section under which deduction was made (e.g. section 192 for salary), date on which payment was credited, amount paid/credited, tax deducted from payments and deposited in the bank are also included in this part.
  
• Part B - Details of Tax Collected at Source: It shows details of the transactions where the tax has been collected from you by the seller of specified goods and submitted to the income tax department. Other details in respect of the seller and the tax collected are similar to as those displayed in Part A.
  
• Part C - Details of Tax Paid (Other than TDS or TCS): It shows details of income tax which has been paid directly by you (like advance tax, self-assessment tax). It also shows the date of tax deposited and details of the challan through which you have deposited this tax in the bank.
  
• Details of Paid Refund: It shows the details of any refund (in the year) paid to you by Income Tax Department along with the assessment year for which refund is paid. It also shows the mode of payment, amount of refund and date of payment.
  
• Details of transaction of Mutual Fund, Shares and Bonds (as reported by AIR filer) -This shows the details of 'high value financial transactions' done by you (as reported in Annual Information Report - AIR filer under section 285BA). Details of the nature of transaction, name of AIR filer, date of transaction, whether single or joint party transaction, no. of joint transacting parties, amount and mode of transactions are also included.
  

When is Form 26AS used the most?

While you can view Form 26AS multiple times in a year, it is usually helpful at the end of the year before filing your tax returns. Before filing your tax returns, you might want to check the amount of total tax already paid by you through different ways in the given year and then you pay the remaining tax. In case you find that you have paid extra tax in a year, then you can submit your tax credit statement to the income tax department while filing and request for a tax refund.

In case you see any entry on account of TDS/TCS credit in your Form 26AS which is not pertaining to you, you may intimate the deductor/collector. In case the erroneous entry is on account of advance tax or self-assessment tax, you may intimate your Assessing Officer. In case if any of the issue has not been resolved by the deductor, then you can contact Aaykar Sampark Kendra (ASK) at 0124-2438000 or Central Processing Center (CPC) of TDS.

Parliamentary Committees COMMITTEE MEETINGS Committee on Petitions From:- 20/02/2013 To:- 25/02/2013

Date Time MeetingNo Venue & Place Agenda Committee on Petitions 20/02/2013 15:00 111 Room No 63,First Floor Parliament House, New Delhi,New Delhi to hear the views of the Chief Secretary, Sikkim on the petition praying for protection of interest of bonafide Indian nationals residing in Sikkim prior to its merger with India in 1975

 

 

Know about Rajasthan- our ancestors home

Hues of Rajasthan

Nipun Srivastava’s motorcycle ride around Rajasthan was a smooth one where he walked barefoot, became part of the music and spent a month amongst strangers who he now calls his own

     

Posted On Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 08:21:42 AM

Sometimes an individual has to take on a mammoth endeavour, to realise what it takes to survive out there, alone. As a travel photographer and writer, I set out on my own milestone trip to Rajasthan.  This vast state titillates the imagination with visions of loitering camels, boundless sand dunes and August forts. To say that it was a dream to ride across these sands and experience what this land has to offer would be an understatement. I headed out alone to repaint my memories from my childhood as the son of an army officer.  Pics: Nipun Srivastava Starting off on my mammoth adventure, I entered Rajasthan through Mount Abu and then went on to cover the western region through Barmer and Jaisalmer. From Jaisalmer, I made way to the heart of the state spending time at Jodhpur and Ajmer-Pushkar.   I also spent a good five days in the capital city of Jaipur before moving on to Chittorgarh and then finally Udaipur where I also spent a while. It took 28 amazing days to ride across this brilliant landscape of vistas, people and culture.   The time one spends alone on one’s motorcycle is the most rejuvenating. All you do is talk to yourself and see things you never thought you’d see and meet people you never thought you’d meet.  Jai ho Jaisalmer! Taken atop the sand dunes in western Rajasthan, it represents the spirit of the Thar desert. The economy here revolves around the tourist and the history does well to keep one enthralled.  The landscapes here are overwhelming. Early mornings and evenings are no less than perfect for anyone. Tourist, traveller or local, one just can’t escape the desert’s calm caress. Jaisalmer is a desert town most have heard about but few have really experienced.  The whole of Rajasthan is place tailor-made for the wanderer and the likes. As you walk on the sand, desert beetles will crawl up through the sand and greet you with amusing tracks on the surface.  Most cultures boast of being hospitable and caring but the folk of Rajasthan truly personify hospitality. One has to admire the people who respect and hold in such high regards of their own culture, music and place of belonging.  The city of Jaisalmer is such a departure from the routine that it forces the mind to adapt and ultimately fall in love with its uniqueness. It’s not called the golden city without reason. The city glows golden in the soft evening sunlight. The ride to Jaisalmer is also one of the most beautiful. The blue city visited Jodhpur turned out to be a tough city to like. As I put it “it was coherently chaotic”. Both sides of the coin can be experienced here. The mad rush of city life as well as the peace and tranquillity of the years gone by, both can be taken on.  In the centre of Rajasthan, the city of Jodhpur eggs one on to discover more and look harder. Its beauty isn’t skin deep. It’s under the skin. The layout of the city of Jodhpur tells one a lot of things.   Jam packed streets and addresses are contrasted by open spaces and royal buildings. Interestingly, Jodhpur is also known for its broad roads. Don’t be fooled though, the traffic here can give any city a run for its money.  The essence of Jodhpur lies in its relationship with the sun. The Mehrangarh fort looks over the Blue city: deliberately getting lost in a city I know nothing about. Stopping every kilometre to ask people directions for the place I want to go to and then from being hopelessly lost to reaching my destination. This was my way of breaking the ice with Jodhpur. Some things spiritual Most will know Pushkar for its fair and religious existence. But that’s hardly what I experienced. Yes, the Pushkar fair was in full swing when I arrived but I realised pretty soon it seemed like an overused formula. Pushkar can be beautiful but that depends on your definition of beauty.  For me the best experience in Pushkar was sitting next to the lake with a high vantage point. I watched the sun go down over the lake and with it the Maha aarti that took place about 500 yards away. You can’t get away from Pushkar’s overtly religious vibe. From temple smells to the mid-day warm air at the stadium, you’re in for an experience of sorts.   A background of cow/camel/horse dung, a spattering of diesel fumes, some fruits and chai and a garnish of sand makes up the air here. Pushkar is not for the faint hearted traveller. Some thing pink Apart from being the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is also the city where time is the most easily spent. Jaipur embraces those who step out of their comfort zone. The city gives you a nice time with wonderful food and brilliant people. The forts in Jaipur are impressive — the Aamer, the Jaigadh and the Nahargarh fort.  The sound and light show at the Aamer takes one through the history of Rajasthan in one hour. The nights in Jaipur are best spent exploring the older city and digging into local cuisine.  Jaipur is a huge metropolitan; it is easy for a traveller to get discouraged seeing the flamboyant business going on everywhere. Fikar not! Hang in there and persevere with your passion to explore and Jaipur will surprise you in the most exciting of ways.  A truly royal touch A quaint and blue town in eastern Rajasthan, Chittorgarh I feel is a much ignored travel destination. Still safe from over-commercialisation, Chittor titillates the senses with its brutal simplicity.  Once the capital of Mewar, Chittorgarh is home to the largest fort in Asia. It is a struggle even to take a photograph of the length of the structure. The forts grounds are stoic. One can feel the history here. It is easy to understand the history which was made within these walls.   Life still moves on at a slow pace in Chittor but that doesn’t take away from the city’s underexposed brilliance. Right from the Vijay Stambh to the Palace of Queen Padmini, every building is intricate and unique in its own right. For me, the stories from Chittor were the most compelling. Swimming in lake city The city of lakes: Much revered for its luxury hotels and flamboyant tourism, Udaipur can fail to excite the true traveller. A beautiful city no doubt, the fun can be had in exploring the areas surrounding Udaipur. Heading up into the Arravali hills is the first step to having a good time in Udaipur.   Heading in to the hills when near Udaipur is a sure fire way to get up close and personal with the landscape. One gets to see Rajasthan’s green side, something which comes as a slight surprise. Close to Udaipur lies the Kumbhalgarh fort.  From here one can see the hills dividing the kingdoms of Mewar and Marwar. The fort is one of the most beautiful forts in Rajasthan, especially against the night sky. Playing a perfect host to The Milky Way Galaxy, the story of Kumbhalgarh and its sound and light shows takes one through the life of Mewar.

Hanuman Temple at Sidhbari,Himachal maintained by Chinmaya Mission

Minority scholarship constitutional: HC

Mahesh Trivedi / 16 February 2013

AHMEDABAD - The Gujarat High Court on Friday ruled that the Centre’s pre-matriculation scholarship scheme for students from minority communities did not violate the provisions of India’s Constitution that prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.

A five-judge bench turned down the Narendra Modi government’s contention that students belonging to the minorities could not be given scholarships at the pre-matric level on the basis of religion.
However, while three judges were in favour of this judgement, two judges were against it, meaning the Gujarat government will have to implement the scheme.
The larger bench was set up to judge the constitutionality or otherwise of the scheme as two benches had delivered differing verdicts on the issue of conferring of any monetary benefit on any community on religious lines.
Sources in the legal department of the state government told Khaleej Times that Friday’s ruling would be challenged in the Supreme Court after the final order for implementation thereof was made by the two-judge bench which had referred the matter to the five-judge bench.
PILs had been filed by Congress leader Adam Chaki seeking directions to the Modi administration to implement the scheme under which the Centre had allotted 
Rs100 million for award of 52,260 pre-matriculation scholarships to students in Gujarat whose parents have an annual income below Rs100,000. The scheme has been adopted by all the states except Gujarat, Sikkim and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
The two Muslim bodies — the Islamic Relief Committee and the Students Islamic Organisation — as well as the state government and the federal government had criticised the Gujarat government’s stand, saying that on one hand the government spent Rs4 billion on events like Vibrant Gujarat summits, but on the other hand, it did not want to 
spend Rs40 million annually on minorities.
Under the scheme based on the Sachar Committee report which studied the condition of minorities including Muslims, Buddhists and others in the country, the Centre contributes 75per cent of funds and the state government has to bear 25 per cent of the total amount.

Supreme Court's Stay Order dt 11.feb 2013.

Old settlers of Sikkim demand tax exemption

Bhadra Sinha, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, February 12, 2013

Centre's exemption to 95% of Sikkim's population, most of whom are reportedly of foreign origin, has come under judicial scrutiny with the Supreme Court issuing notice on a petition challenging the government policy under the Income-Tax Act.

Acting on a petition filed by "Old Settlers of Indian Origin" in Sikkim, the bench also restrained the authorities from recovering income tax dues from the petitioners that are a part of 5% of the population paying the tax.
The Association of Old Settlers Of Sikkim, which contended that the collection of the tax was discriminatory and violated Article 15 of (prohibition against discrimination) the Constitution, stated the exemption was granted subsequent to an amendment in the Finance Act in 2008.

The petitioners also placed a White Paper stating Sikkim government's contention that I-T exemption would be granted to those who became Indian citizens in 1990-91 under local law and voted for merger of Sikkim with India.

SC stay on Sikkim tax dues

-Old settler petition says 1961 Act discriminatory

OUR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT Source: The Telegraph

New Delhi, Feb. 12: The Supreme Court yesterday stayed the recovery of income tax dues from “old settlers of Indian origin” in Sikkim and sought the Union government’s response to a petition that challenged the collection of the central tax from them. Last year, around 400 families in Sikkim refused to file income tax returns and demanded exemption that applies to those who have Sikkim Subject Certificates. The Chogyals had issued the Sikkim Subject Certificates (SSC) to people living in the state during 1961 under the Sikkim Subject Regulation Act of 1961. The 400 families, also known as “old settlers”, came to the state before 1975, when Sikkim merged with India, but they do not possess the certificates. The Centre had exempted SSC holders, about 95 per cent of Sikkim’s population, from paying income tax in 2008 after an amendment in the Finance Act by the Parliament based on the state’s request. That year, Association of Old Settlers Of Sikkim filed a petition with a Rajya Sabha Committee saying it was discriminatory and violated Article 14 (equality before law) and 15 (prohibition against discrimination) of the Constitution. Yesterday, senior counsel K.K. Venugopal and counsel Senthil Jagadeesan who appeared for the Association of Old Settlers Of Sikkim submitted that Clause 26 AAA of Section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, was discriminatory and violated Articles 14 and 15 as 95 per cent of the state’s population that was exempted from paying tax “includes about 70 per cent people of Nepalese origin, and the entire exemption has come about to appease the electorate.” The remaining 5 per cent was to pay the taxes. It was submitted that the demographic profile of Sikkim, according to the 2004 voters’ list, shows that Bhutia-Lepcha (STs) are about 20.64 per cent of the population, Nepalese constitute 69.71 per cent, Sherpas are 4.31 per cent and others make up 5.34 per cent (old settlers: 1.5 per cent and migrants: 3.84 per cent). The petition said, discussions between Sikkim and the Union of India disclosed that SSC holders and those who became citizens in 1990-91 after the Sikkim Citizenship Amendment Order 1989 should be exempted for political reasons and to maintain ethnic peace in the state and SSC holders who had voted for the merger of Sikkim with India be rewarded by granting exemption. “This is the reason for the differential classification whereby 95 per cent of the population in Sikkim is exempted from the Income Tax Act, 1961, while 5 per cent of the population including the old settlers of Indian origin are liable to be taxed,” a member of the association said.

Indian luxury market to touch $15 b by 2014-15: Assocham

source hindubusinessline  

3

The luxury market is poised to expand three-fold in next three years and the number of millionaires expected to multiply three times in another five years.

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Mumbai, Feb 5: 

From Louis Vuitton bags to Lamborghinis, the Indian market is getting flooded with luxury goods. Despite the continued global economic slowdown, the luxury market in India is expected to grow at 25 per cent to touch $15 billion by FY 2015 from the current level of $8 billion.

Spending rising

A recent Assocham-YES Bank study reveals that while the luxury market is poised to expand three fold in the next three years, the number of millionaires is expected to multiply three times in another five years. Globally too, consumer spending is on the rise, expected to reach $40 trillion by 2020.

The number of ultra high net worth households, with a minimum net worth of Rs 25 crore is expected to triple to 2.86 lakh in the next five years. the HNIs will be double in number by 2015 to over 4 lakhs with a collective wealth of $2,645 billion.

“Increase in spending is anticipated across the country and beyond the walls of the metros, with increasing brand awareness amongst the youth and purchasing power of the upper class in Tier II & III cities in India where luxury cars, bikes and exotic holidays and destination weddings are no strangers,” said Assocham Secretary-General D.S. Rawat.

India, China resilient

These projections along with the increasing price parity in the luxury products with other international destinations like Singapore or Hong Kong, and customised products offerings would indicate that the luxury market in India would evolve quickly, the study added.

India and China have shown their resilience to the global turmoil by exhibiting sustained growth and thus laying a solid foundation for future global economic recovery.

priyanka.pani@thehindu.co.in  

Is there scope for niche cafes in India? If so, how do we survive?

Is there scope for niche cafes in India? If so, how do we survive?

_

Josh, the café market in India is a huge one. We did a market study in 2009 and discovered to our surprise that India could then accommodate 5,400 cafés whereas there were only 1,600 cafés in place by then. We did a recent update on this in October 2012 and the number India can take as of now stands at 6,100, whereas it now has has 2,248 cafés.

The scope for niche café chains is huge. There are opportunities in several verticals. These can be as many verticals as your imagination allows you to think up, and your business plan allows you to foray into. To list a few: The free-standing café on a high street, the mall café, the highway café, the petrol bunk café, the kiosk at an office, the bank café, the Gym Café … this list can go on and on.

And then there are small kiosks and little nooks within bigger establishments. The café is a strongly felt need in most such locations.

The total number of offices in India is humongous. As of today, each of them runs its own kitchen. The kitchens typically churn out quick-eat and quick-drink stuff. They make coffee, tea and serve up sandwiches made in electric toasters and dish out noodles from ready-to-make packs of Maggi or Indo Nissin.

These kitchens are messy, expensive, and need the services of two office boys or girls. Some have automated mildly by bringing in coffee and tea dispensing machines as well. The next step and opportunity at these offices of reasonable size is to outsource it all. Outsource it to a café chain at large.

The opportunity is as big as the money in your expansion kitty will allow you to spend. And you don’t survive here. You thrive. And the fittest will thrive. Not survive.(
 Harish Bijoor is a business strategy specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc).

 

Pre Budget meet

The Union Finance Minister Shri P Chidambaram, both the Minister of State for Finance Shri S.S. Palanimanickam and Shri Namo Narain Meena, Adviser to the Finance Minister, Shri Parthasarthy Shome, Finance Secretary, Shri R.S. Gujral, Revenue Secretary, Shri Sumit Bose, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Shri Arvind Mayaram, Secretary, Disinvestment, Shri Ravi Mathur, Secretary, Financial Services, Shri Rajiv Trakru, Chairperson CBDT,Dr. Poonam Kishore Saxena and Chairman CBEC, Ms. Parveen Mahajan . 

Members of the Consultative Committee participated in the meeting included Shri Anto P. Antony, Shri Narahari Mahato, Shri Partap Singh Bajwa, Shri Neeraj Shekhar, Shri Suresh C. Angadi, Shri Vijay Inder Singla and Shri W. Bhausaheb Rajaram (all Members of Lok Sabha); Shri Ajay Sancheti, Shri Birender Singh, Shri Rajkumar Dhoot, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Shri Shantaram Naik, Dr. Ashok Sekhar Ganguly, Shri Ishwarlal Jain and Shri Murli S. Deora (all Members of Rajya Sabha). 

GST – The GST will be a win-win proposition for all- government, trade & industry and consumers

Dr. Sanjiv Agarwal

While the country’s economic growth for 2011-12 has been revised downwards to 6.2% from 6.5%, Reserve Bank of India has also now cut the GDP growth estimate for 2012-13 to a low of 5.5%.  The coming budget offers yet another opportunity to provide a dynamic momentum, a clear policy vision approach and a commitment to take the nation ahead. Only time will tell us how much and how far it can be explored.

On Goods and Service Tax (GST) front, there is a news to cheer about. The Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers which met  for two days on 28-29 January, 2012 cleared the major hurdles in introduction of GST. However, we are not still sure as to whether it could come in 2014 or even later. Now the onus is on the Parliament to quickly clear the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2011 which is now almost two years old.

The Centre and the states last week crossed one major hurdle in the way of Goods & Services Tax (GST) by agreeing to a compensation formula for the Central Sales Tax (CST).

A sub-committee of the Centre and states recommended 100 per cent compensation to states for a cut in CST from four per cent to two per cent for 2010-11, 75 per cent for 2011-12 and 50 per cent for 2012-13, respectively and as a result, Centre will now have pay Rs 34,000 as CST arrears to states.

Budget 2013 : What may be in store in our view Outline of plan for GST post 2014 Amendment in Section 67 and Rule (5) of Valuation Rules (may be retrospective) Definitions of services to identify code numbers Amendment in definition of ‘Service’ New Tax return formats Clarity on employee –employer related services Taxation on partner’s services Basic exemption limit of Rs. 10 lakh may be enhanced Rationalization of negative list / exemptions

 By nature, CST is in contrast with GST since the former is imposed on inter-state movement of goods while the latter creates the common Indian market. So, CST is expected to be out of the system, once GST comes. A provision for the compensation is likely to be made in the upcoming Budget.

The Central Government has now agreed to make changes to the Constitution Amendment Bill for GST. In a deviation from its earlier stand, it gave consent to a phased roll-out of GST like the Value Added Tax (VAT). This means that only willing states could embrace the new indirect tax system from the beginning.

States will have the flexibility to opt out of GS. Instead of its earlier proposal for a uniform GST rates across the country, the Union Government has also agreed to have a floor rate of taxation with a narrow band. Thus, GST rates could be in a range or a band to provide flexibility to states. There is also a broad consensus on GST design. States which don’t want GST can opt out and a provision will be inserted in the Bill.

Thus, GST now seems to be a reality if not in 2014, it may surely be in place after the next general election. The key lies in broad consensus, on simple tax law and commitment of states to a tax law which will be a water shed tax reform of the century. The GST will be a win-win proposition for all- government, trade & industry and consumers.( Source:Tax Guru)

JAIPUR-Favourite city for world tourists

Known for it unique color and architecture, India's famous city of Jaipur in Rajasthan state, also known as the Pink City, is a major tourist destination countrywide. Jaipur has been attracting more and more tourists to visit india. After two and a half centuries, the city has preserved its culture, tradition and architecture which is currently serving as a major source of income for its inhabitants.

The city was founded by maharaja Shiva Ji Singh in the 17th century and based it on Indo Persian architecture.

Today the palaces of Jaipur are favorite tourist spots. And many of the old and neglected palaces and forts in the Pink City have been converted into heritage hotels giving Jaipur more of a traditional look which is difficult to find in western countries. People associated with the tourism industry say although the government is allocating huge amounts of money to the preservation of these heritage sites, it seems that money is not being spent properly to this end.

Despite the dwindling interiors of these forts and palaces, the inflow of visitors continues non-stop round the year.
The other major tourist attraction of Rajasthan state is its handicrafts and sculpture. The handicrafts made of wood, marble and clay in Jaipur are exported to all countries and are much in demand worldwide thanks to their craftsmanship. Businessmen believe Rajasthan is nothing without its craftsmanship.

Meanwhile, Rajestan has maintained its uniqueness In terms of fascinating dressing style, fabric and design.

Visitors form all over the world come to see this historic, traditional city. Many tourists used to come to Jaipur from the West. However, with the economic meltdown in Western countries, the trend has changed and now Asians are seen more often visiting the city and other tourist spots of India.

The world travel and tourism council says the tourism industry of India constituted for 121 billion dollars or 6.4% of the nation's GDP in 2011. And it created approximately 39 million jobs.

The state of Rajasthan is a main tourist attraction in India-- drawing a lot of visitors from around the world who would love to see its old-age monuments traditions and culture. The Indian government has made a lot of effort in preserving those aspects of Jaipur. But many believe that much work remains to be done to achieve the goal.

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Jaipur Literature Festival

Courtesy of Jaipur Literature Festival
A panel discussion on the theme, “Imagine: Resistance, Protest, Assertion,” at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2013. sourceNYTimes