News, Views and Information about NRIs.

A NRI Sabha of Canada's trusted source of News & Views for NRIs around the World.



September 21, 2011

NRIs demand provision for nominating representative to Indian Parliament

LONDON: Indian government must make Constitutional provision for nominating a representative of non-resident Indians to the country's Parliament, a prominent leader of the Indian Overseas Congress ( London) UK has said.

"NRIs holding Indian passports must have their representative in the Parliament and the Indian Government must make constitutional provision for it," D L Kalhan, President of Indian Overseas Congress (London) UK, said.

He made the remarks last night at a reception hosted in honour of Gulchain Singh Charak, permanent invitee to Congress Working Committee and in-charge of Punjab, Chandigarh and Bihar Congress.

Kalhan said the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) was "instrumental in getting the voting rights for NRIs holding Indian Passport."

He regretted that no one was paying any heed to tap NRI voting or the influence they could have back home.

Answering a question regarding the demand for NRI representation in Indian parliament, Charak said the matter needed a thorough study and he would take it up with the concerned authorities.

Addressing the gathering, Charak said a series of measures have been taken recently to strengthen the Congress in Punjab and Bihar and expressed the confidence that the party would secure absolute majority in Punjab in the assembly elections expected in February next.

"The atmosphere in Punjab is in favour of Congress and the party will come back to power with a good majority," he said.

Noting that Congress has "adopted" a policy of "zero tolerance" as far as corruption is concerned, Charak said "the party has not pardoned any person facing corruption charges."

He claimed the people in Punjab were "fed up of the Akali Government because of its misrule, lawlessness and corruption." The people are in favour of Congress party "because they want a secular government and only Congress could provide it."

He said Congress party would organise "parivartan yatra" (movement for change) from October 1 in all the 170 assembly constituencies in Punjab.

Virendra Sharma, leading Labour MP, Manjit Lit, Chairman of the IOC, Councillor Sunil Chopra, General Secretary of IOC, Councillor Ajmer Dhillon, senior Vice President of the IOCand Councillor Satpal Parmar, spoke on the occasion.

Prominent among those who attended the event were leading NRI solicitor Hari Singh, well known physician Dharmendra Tripathi and entrepreneur J S Malhotra.

2 NRIs in Kuwait receive prestigious award

KUWAIT CITY: Prominent business personality and Kuwait's chain of supermarket Gulfmart's country head TA Remesh and Sageer Trikarpur, chairman of Kuwait's largest social welfare association of Indian nationals, were awarded the prestigious Garshom Award on Monday.

Najma Heptulla, former Rajya Sabha chairperson presented the award to Remesh and Trikarpur in a glittering function held at Salmiya Indian Community School, Salmiya. Indian embassy charge d affairs Vidhu P Nair,Samajwadi Party national general secretary Rajeev Kumar Rai and former Karnataka MLA Ivan Nigli were the chief guests. Sunitha Krishnan from Hyderabad, VC Praveen from Chennai, S Ahmed from Trivandrum and the AllMalaysia Malayalee Association also received the award on Monday.

The Garshom Award was instituted by Bangalore-based Garshom Infomedia for NRIs settled abroad and those who have returned to the country. The award committee constitutes Ivan Nigli, Dr B Ashok Kumar (Muscat), Polly Mathew Somatheeram (Germany) and Jins Paul (MD, Garshom Infomedia Limited).

In her speech, Najma Heptulla said, "I am happy to know that TA Remesh is holding a very successful post among the Kuwait business community. It's highly appreciable that he employs large number of Indians in this country."

Prominent members of the community also attended the award function. A special musical evening was also organized as a part of the award presentation ceremony. 

NRIs can now open joint accounts with resident Indian

MUMBAI: Liberalising the foreign exchange rules, the Reserve Bank today allowed NRIs to hold joint account with Indian residents, a move that would help increase remittances.

The central bank has also permitted sale proceeds of foreign investments in India to accrue to NRE/FCNR accounts after tax deductions, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) account and Non-Resident External (NRE) account are opened by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) with the Indian banks.

As per the recommendations of the committee constituted to review facilities available under FEMA, the central bank has taken such steps.

RBI has allowed residents of India to include non-resident close relative in their resident bank accounts on 'former or survivor' basis. However, such non-resident relative shall not be eligible to operate the account during resident's lifetime, it said in a notification.

It also permitted NRIs to open NRE/FCNR account with their resident close relative. In this case, the resident relative can operate the account as a power of attorney holder.

Similarly, the central bank has doubled the slab under which securities worth USD 50,000 per fiscal can be transferred by resident Indians to non-resident individuals 'by way of gift' from the present level of USD 25,000.

RBI has also allowed resident individuals to include resident close relative in their EEFC (Exchange Earners Foreign Currency) or RFC(Resident Foreign Currency) as a joint account holder.

Tie-tanic affair at Chepauk in 1986

September 22 marks the 25th anniversary of thesecond-ever Tied Test, between India and Australia contested at Chepauk in 1986. TOI revisits the drama and speaks to the main protagonists of cricket's ultimate reality show over those absorbing five days.

What do you remember most about the Tied Test in Madras (Chennai)? Dean Jones vomiting all over the turf. David Boon and skipper Alan Border's merciless assault on the Indian bowlers. Kapil Dev's brilliant counter-attack that helped India save the follow on.

Greg Matthews, still reasonably inexperienced when it came to bowling in the sub-continent, spinning a web around batsmen used to playing spin in their sleep. Or Ravi Shastri, almost praying at the non-striker's end on Day Five, hoping that No. 11 Maninder Singh somehow gets bat on ball to help India win.

It won't be doing any one of the great gentlemen disservice if you can't remember the listed feats.

Mere acknowledgement of the fact that the Test was played in the most trying of conditions (40 degrees heat, 95 % humidity) would be a fitting tribute to the 22 players and two umpires (Dara Dotiwala and Vikram Raju) that have now become part of history.
That the second Tied Test didn't receive as much fanfare as the first one (Australia vs West Indies, Brisbane, 1960) is tragic indeed.

What is also somewhat curious is the fact that neither the BCCI, CA nor the players chose to plan a reunion to recreate the magic and the drama of those surreal five days in Madras.

An Indian for President of United States

Indian for President of United States - is that possible?

As we approach Presidential elections in 2012 and numerous candidates throw their hat's in the political ring, this is a obvious outcome, which i am sure many Indian Americans would like to see happen.

Now, this is a real possibility. Governor of Louisiana, Governor Bobby (Piyush) Jindal is eligible for the office of the President, as his recently released birth certificate shows. Governor Jindal is not a 'candidate' as of yet, but the door is open, should he decide to run.

Any "American" of foreign descent can aspire to be President of United States of America, the most powerful nation in the world, but the caveat is that "you have to be born here".

The Constitution of United States, as it was written by the founding fathers - Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 states that : No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Living in Quincy MA, birth place of founding father and 2nd US President John Adams, I can very well understand the 'reasoning' behind why this clause was put in the constitution. And anyone who has read history can understand the fear of the founding fathers of treason and sabotage by a person not born on this soil, given their deep anguish to separate from the mother land "England". But today , as we have seen, one does not have to be born in another country to have 'ill feelings' toward the US. One example is that of Timothy McVeigh and Oklahoma Citybombing (1995) considered to be most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. A strong case can be made for those becoming naturalized citizens, having a deep sense of 'loyalty' to this country because of the circumstances they have left behind to want to work hard and obtain citizenship of this great country.

The Constitution cannot be changed, but a clause can be added to allow for a person, born outside the United States to make such an attempt.

Naturalized citizens consider this country as their home, just like those born here and spend many years of their valuable lives, toiling hard to earn the privilege to be called "Americans". They pay taxes, vote, buy homes, invest in the economy and their children attend schools here. They should therefore be offered the same opportunity to put their 'tears and sweat' to good use and the use of their experiences to make this country a solid global leader.

Its going to take some changes, before first generation Indian American's can become President of the US but with their children, its a real possibility like Governor Bobby Jindal.

Indian-origin doctor disgraced in UK

LONDON: An Indian-origin cardiologist who set up spy cameras in bathrooms to record images of his women colleagues, has been ordered to a 10-year sex offender treatment programme.

Vivek Baliga, 33, appeared before the Leeds Crown Court, where Judge Scott Wolstenholme told him that he would receive a community order for three years.

He said Baliga's behaviour would be 'considered by almost everyone to be disgusting and despicable'.

In addition, he said Baliga was prohibited from approaching either of the victims and he is barred from operating any device capable of recording images, the Daily Mail reported today.

Baliga, who is studying for a PhD in Leeds, pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism against the two doctors.

Prosecutor Carmel Pearson told the court that Baliga set up the recording devices between September 2007 and December 2009 to store the films of his two female friends on his laptop.

Pearson said: "They considered him a close friend. Both had considered him part of their social group and had allowed him into their homes."

One of the doctors discovered she had been videoed when she visited Baliga's home on 13 December 2009 with her boyfriend.

The defendant suggested she use the shower in his en-suite bathroom.

Pearson said: "While she was showering she discovered a video camera. It was switched on and had recorded her taking a shower. She tried to delete the images of her. She was horrified. She went back to the bedroom and told her partner. They left without speaking to the defendant. He tried to stop them from leaving. They just drove off".

She added: "He then bombarded Miss A with texts and phone calls begging for forgiveness. His life would be ruined if she reported him to the police."

Pearson said that after a great deal of consideration she finally reported the matter to police.

His computer equipment was seized and it was discovered that he had taken a camera to another woman's house and installed it in her shower and a toilet.

Richard Reed, lawyer for the defendant, said his client was of previous good character and was full of "profound regret and remorse for his behaviour".

He said the implications for him were 'far-reaching' with the General Medical Council investigating his behaviour.

"He has had to disclose these offences to employers and colleagues. That is enormously stressful and he now faces court," he said.

In a text message to one of his victims, Baliga wrote: "I am thoroughly ashamed of myself. I made the biggest mistake of my life. I will never forgive myself. I will regret it forever. I have lost a good friend. I am an idiot."

NRIs demand provision for nominating representative to Indian Parliament

LONDON: Indian government must make Constitutional provision for nominating a representative of non-resident Indians to the country's Parliament, a prominent leader of the Indian Overseas Congress ( London) UK has said.

"NRIs holding Indian passports must have their representative in the Parliament and the Indian Government must make constitutional provision for it," D L Kalhan, President of Indian Overseas Congress (London) UK, said.

He made the remarks last night at a reception hosted in honour of Gulchain Singh Charak, permanent invitee to Congress Working Committee and in-charge of Punjab, Chandigarh and Bihar Congress.

Kalhan said the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) was "instrumental in getting the voting rights for NRIs holding Indian Passport."

He regretted that no one was paying any heed to tap NRI voting or the influence they could have back home.

Answering a question regarding the demand for NRI representation in Indian parliament, Charak said the matter needed a thorough study and he would take it up with the concerned authorities.

Addressing the gathering, Charak said a series of measures have been taken recently to strengthen the Congress in Punjab and Bihar and expressed the confidence that the party would secure absolute majority in Punjab in the assembly elections expected in February next.

"The atmosphere in Punjab is in favour of Congress and the party will come back to power with a good majority," he said.

Noting that Congress has "adopted" a policy of "zero tolerance" as far as corruption is concerned, Charak said "the party has not pardoned any person facing corruption charges."

He claimed the people in Punjab were "fed up of the Akali Government because of its misrule, lawlessness and corruption." The people are in favour of Congress party "because they want a secular government and only Congress could provide it."

He said Congress party would organise "parivartan yatra" (movement for change) from October 1 in all the 170 assembly constituencies in Punjab.

Virendra Sharma, leading Labour MP, Manjit Lit, Chairman of the IOC, Councillor Sunil Chopra, General Secretary of IOC, Councillor Ajmer Dhillon, senior Vice President of the IOCand Councillor Satpal Parmar, spoke on the occasion.

Prominent among those who attended the event were leading NRI solicitor Hari Singh, well known physician Dharmendra Tripathi and entrepreneur J S Malhotra.

Netherlands Indian diaspora conference planned for September in Hague

The Foundation for the Indian Diaspora in Europe, in collaboration with GOPIO of Netherlands, is hosting its first annual Indian Diaspora Conference (IDC) on September 25, 2011 in The Hague. The theme of the conference is "Indian Diaspora in the Netherlands: Achievements, Contributions & Challenges".

After successfully conducting the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas-Europe in September 2009, the representatives of the Indian Diaspora organizations in the Netherlands will meet again on the 25th of September 2011 at the World Forum in Hague for the first Netherlands edition of the Annual Diaspora Conference. The theme of the IDC is "Indian Diaspora in the Netherlands: Achievements, Contributions & Challenges". Distinguished speakers from all sections of the diaspora in the Netherlands, the representatives of the Government of India and prominent Dutch dignitaries, will address on various aspects of this theme. At least 400 participants, most of them representing various Indian diaspora organizations are expected to participate in this conference.

The aims of this conference are to:
* Enhance understanding and strengthen the relations between the various sections of the Indian diaspora in Netherlands

* Increase participation and visibility of the Indian diaspora in the Dutch social, cultural and political spectrum

* Broaden and deepen the ties with India in various fields

* Work as a catalyst to further the cause of economic and cultural cooperation between India and the Netherlands.

The conference will aim to not only highlight the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the host country but will also focus on the issues of concern to the diaspora. There will be special sessions to address the issues concerning the youth and women. The diaspora congress is organized collectively by many Indian diaspora organizations based in Netherlands under the umbrella organization "The Foundation for the Indian Diaspora in Europe."

Programme
The one day programme of the conference consists of presentations, lectures, discussions about the position of Indian diaspora in the Netherlands and its relation with India. This will be an excellent opportunity to take stock of the progress made by the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands so far and the measures to enhance it further. The programme will be concluded by a cultural gala with about 50 top artists giving quality performances with songs and classical as well as folk dances from various parts of India.

Participation
Those who are interested in attending the conference are most welcome to register via the website (http://www.fideu.org). The participation fee is 35,00 p.p. if paid in advance, and 50,00 for those who want to pay at the door. Students with a student card will be charged 20,00 in advance payment procedure and 35,00 at the door. The students will be requested to show their student card at the entrance. The entry to the conference also includes drinks, snacks, lunch and cultural programme. Those who want to register only for the cultural programme the fee is 20,00 to be paid in advance. 

RBI allows residents to pay housing loans of NRI relatives

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank has allowed resident individuals to repay housing loans in rupee on behalf of their close relatives, who are non-resident Indians (NRIs) or People of Indian origin ( PIO).

"..It has been decided that where an authorised dealer (bank) in India has granted loan to a non-resident Indian..., such loans may also be repaid by resident close relative of the non-resident Indian by crediting the borrower's loan account through the bank account of such relative," the apex bank said in a notification.

However, this repayment facility is restricted to housing loan only, it noted.

In another circular, the central bank allowed resident individuals to pay for medical expenses of their non-resident close relatives, who are on visit to India.

Presently, a resident individual can pay bills of their NRI kins for boarding, lodging, travel to and from and within India.

Nod for lending USD 2 lakh to NRIs, PIOs in rupee terms

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India today allowed Indians to lend up to USD 2 lakh in rupee in a fiscal to NRIs and PIOs, who are their close relatives, for personal purpose or business activities other than agriculture, real estate or relending business.

"The extant position has been reviewed and it has been decided to permit a resident individual to lend to a Non- Resident Indian (NRI)/Person of Indian Origin ( PIO) close relative...," the central bank said in a notification.

It said residents can avail of the new rules, subject to the condition that "the loan amount should be within the overall limit under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme of USD 200,000 per financial year available for a resident individual."

Besides, the loan should be free of interest and with a minimum maturity of one year.

In addition, the loan should be utilised for meeting the borrower's personal requirements or for his own business purposes in India.

"The loan shall not be utilised, either singularly or in association with other person, for any of the activities in which investment by persons resident outside India is prohibited," the notification said.

The prohibited areas include the chit fund business, agricultural or plantation activities, real estate business, or construction of farm houses and trading in Transferable Development Rights (TDRs).

"For the purpose... real estate business shall not include development of townships, construction of residential /commercial premises, roads or bridges," it added.

According to the notification, the loan amount is not allowed to be remitted outside India.

In another notification, the apex bank allowed resident individuals to gift up to USD 200,000 per fiscal in rupees to their NRI close relatives.

The central bank's latest move comes a day after it liberalised the foreign exchange rules and allowed NRIs to hold joint account with Indian residents.

Ganesh vs Hitler play in Melbourne Festival worries Hindus

NEVADA, US: Hindus are concerned at the play " Ganesh Versus the Third Reich", which is having a world premiere at Melbourne Festivalin Australia on September 29.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that Lord Ganesh was meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not to be made a laughing stock on theatre stages.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that Lord Ganesh was divine and theater/film/art were welcome to create projects about/around him showing his true depiction as mentioned in the scriptures. Creating irrelevant imaginary imagery, like reportedly depicting him being tortured and interrogated by Nazi SS, hurt the devotees.

Its creator, internationally acclaimed "Back to Back Theatre", itself calls it a "strange" fable, "rambunctious". Describing the play, media release of co-presenter Malthouse Theatre says that Ganesh "seeks to go one-on-one with Hitler". It is also described by some as "wildly inventive ride through history, where sacred icons and rituals become weapons" and "brimming with humour".

Rajan Zed argued that taxpayer funded organizations like Australia Council for the Arts, ArtsVictoria, and City of Melbourne; which supported this play; should be more vigilant in their selections.

Zed further pointed out that we needed to be more sensitive about the feelings of "others". Recently, depiction of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at a fashion event held in Sydney(Australia) resulted in worldwide protests. Popular radio host Kyle Sandilands recently made derogatory remarks, ridiculing Hindus' holy river Ganga, on Sydney's hit music station. Australian swimwear company, Sandilands and his radio station later apologized after the protests.

Bruce Galdwin directed "Ganesh Versus the Third Reich", will be shown at Merlyn Theatre (The Malthouse) in Southbank (Victoria, Australia) from September 29 to October nine. Ticket prices are up to $58. It is also scheduled to be exhibited at the "5th World Summit on Arts and Culture" on October four.

Founded in 1987, Back to Back Theatre claims to be "one of Australia's leading creative voices, focusing on moral, philosophical and political questions about the value of individual lives". It states on its website: "The stories they create explore 'the cold, dark side' of our times...". Headquartered in Geelong (Victoria), Peter Bridges is Chair of its Board, Bruce Gladwin the Artistic Director, and Alice Nash the Executive Producer. Over the last five years Back to Back has reportedly toured over 40 cities across the world and is said to be "one of Australia's most globally recognised and respected contemporary theatre companies".

Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne Festival are jointly presenting this play. Melbourne Festival, with Brett Sheehy as Artistic Director, claims to be one of Australia's flagship international arts festivals and one of the major multi-arts festivals of the world. Malthouse Theatre, with Marion Potts as Artistic Director, is a non-profit organization "dedicated to the development, production, and promotion of contemporary Australian theatre". Victoria's capital Melbourne is the second most populous city of Australia.

One of most widely worshipped deities in Hinduism; Lord Ganesh is regarded as god of wisdom and good luck, patron of learning and remover of obstacles, and invoked at the commencement of all undertakings. Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Indian-Americans played key role in shaping Indo-US ties: Nirupama Rao

WASHINGTON: Indian Ambassador to the USNirupama Rao has lauded Indian-Americans, saying they played a key role in shaping the strategic partnership between the world's two leading democracies.

"You have contributed and played a significant role in crafting US-India partnership; strategic partnership between the world's two leading democracies; this defining relationship that has the capability to impact the destiny of the 21st century," she said.

Rao was addressing the Indian-American community of Washington DC Metropolitan who had organized a welcome reception for her.

"I particularly recall your role in the successful realization of India-US civil nuclear agreement and the zeal and the enthusiasm with which you supported it - the passage of the deal in theUnited States Congress," Rao said.

"Your accomplishments and achievements as a community has caught the imagination of this country... this is because of the reputation you have established, discipline, diligence and determination to succeed," she said, urging the community to work towards even bigger and better ties between the two countries.

"You can play a crucial role in interpreting India's priorities to your American brethren. You can be that bridge of understating and friendship between India and the United States," Rao said.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alyssa Ayres applauded the role played by the Indian-American community in strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

The State Department is working on initiatives to realize the full potential of the Indian-American community.

Car type says a lot about your CEO

Car type says a lot about your CEO

78-yr-old NRI attacked over piece of land


Ludhiana, September 21
Recently, when Anna Hazare went on hunger strike for about 15 days at Delhi, Surat Singh Khalsa, a 78-year-old man from Hasanpur village here had “pledged” that he too would observe hunger strike and end the fast with Anna Haraze.
Fighting against the prevailing system, little had Khalsa realised that he too would face tough times ahead at the hands of the “land mafia”, being protected by a local Akali leader. Khalsa has also alleged that the police, instead of listening to his woes, was siding with the other party.
Talking to The Tribune, Khalsa said he was an NRI who lived alone at the village near here. His children were settled in the USA. “Already FIRs had been registered against these persons and they were looking for an opportunity to grab another chunk of land belonging to me as they know that I am old, weak and all alone and cannot fight in such condition. But I will fight against them till the end of my life,” said Khalsa.
According to him, these persons, including a woman, hailed from the same village. In May 2003, an FIR was lodged against these accused as they had stolen fodder from Khalsa’s land.
“Thefts took place while I was away in California. Then in 2005, the accused stole my tractor and a tiller. But the FIR could not be lodged as a young Akali leader was protecting the family. These accused have already grabbed a chunk of land belonging to me and now they want to grab another piece. Day before yesterday when I started constructing the boundary wall on my plot for safety purpose, the accused hurled swearwords and pelted stones at me along with their workers. I was injured in the attack. Though an MLR was also conducted at the Civil Hospital, the police has not registered any case,” rued Khalsa.
He also alleged that the police was protecting the accused as an influential Akali leader has been shielding them. “It has been two days and no case has been registered by the police,” said Khalsa.
Meanwhile, Head Constable Jagdish Kumar, who is looking into the matter in absence of SHO Prem Singh, who is on leave, said it was a case of personal rivalry over land. “It is not that we are not registering the case. Every time we go to Khalsa’s place, it is locked. We even called Khalsa on phone and he said he would inform us once he was back from the Civil Hospital and we were still waiting for his call. It seems to be a rivalry over a piece of land. Details could be known only after getting the statement recorded by the complainant,” said the Head Constable.

FOREIGN BANK SCAM

Youths being targeted in name of foreign banks

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 21
Opening savings account in a foreign bank is no more a distant dream for anyone who wants to be duped by swindlers claiming to be organisers of SMS Sweepstakes, showering awards worth billions on gullible youths.
However, the unfortunate part is that you will be proud holder of the foreign bank account in the data of fraudsters only who will swindle the deposited amount soon after the dump.
As a part of their awareness drive, the police has cautioned the residents against depositing huge amounts in accounts opened in response to emails announcing fortunes and awards.
Investigations revealed that gangs of swindlers were out to allure gullible Punjabi youths to open accounts in foreign banks and deposit huge amounts on pretext of processing and freight charges for receiving fortunes running in millions of British Ponds and Dollars.
“A certified bank cheque will be sent to you, which you is required to log into your account in any of the local banks in your country for easy payment. Before this could be possible, you are requested to contact the paying bank gold assets financial by clicking here or copying and pasting the link on your internet browser,” is the communication received by those among thousands who happen to respond to emails announcing winner of one Million British Pound lottery by the World International Olympic Committee- SMS Sweepstakes London. The message is enough to prompt the youth to proceed further.
The link (http://174. 141.226.138/gaf/RegisterUser.aspx) when clicked opens a dialogue box seeking basic information about the prizewinner. Unlike majority of local bank, which may need some time in scrutinising and verifying KYC norms, the foreign bank declares opening of the account instantly.
“This is to acknowledge the receipt of your account opening credentials. Your certified bank cheque will be issued on your name within the next 72 hours,” a message from Alfred Jennifer Atkinson, claiming to be remittance officer is enough to enthuse the recipient to deposit a sum of £550 British pounds or its equivalent of equivalent of $860 USD.
“You are required to provide this office with the sum of £550 British Pounds or it's equivalent of $860 USD being the cost of the cheque freight from the UK to your home address. If you have any further question, kindly contact our Southern Africa representative Mrs Jose Braun,” the prizewinner is advised by Atkinson.
In case of delay, organisers continue reminding the ‘winner’ to proceed further to enable him or her claim the fortune, certified cheque for which had already been prepared according to them.
Showing concern over gullibility of youths, Rajesh Sharma, SHO has cautioned the residents against entertaining alluring emails and SMSes received from unknown sources.

India is developing without human face: experts


Ludhiana, September 21
India is developing without a human face, where there is a wide disparity in the distribution of wealth and income, said experts in a seminar organised by postgraduate department of economics, SCD Government College. The theme of the seminar was, “Human development index and parameters of development in India”.
Dr Ashwani Bhalla, programme coordinator of MCom, business innovations, expressed the views that lot needs to be done for the development of the nation to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. He said the type of development that is taking place, is helping only a small section of the nation, which is already rich and prosperous.
The plight of the common man is deteriorating day by day with the result; India has become the number one country in the world in terms of 237.7 million people living in starvation. 50 per cent of the Indian children are affected with malnutrition, which speaks about the kind of health services, quality care for child and pregnant women as well as hygienic facilities, he added.
He said planning commission estimates that a person with Rs 32 per day income in city segment and Rs 28 per day in rural segment is not a poor, is base less and its calculations are far from reality. A human being needs at least Rs 100 gm dal, 300 gm rice and 300 gm wheat along with at least 200 gm vegetables to fulfill his minimum calories requirement. These are the statistical calculations only, which do not have any relevance in the present hyper inflationary economy.

Summon Brar to Takht for poll mess. say US Sikhs

The American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has expressed dismay over the way the SGPC elections were conducted and appealed to the Akal Takht Jathedar to bring to “book all those instrumental in rigging the poll”.
In a statement, its chief Jaswant Singh Hothi and coordinator Pritpal Singh said it was unfortunate that “many non-Sikhs who were not eligible voters had cast their vote and genuine Sikhs were not even registered as voters”. They stated that it was not important as to who won the elections, but more significant was the fact how fairly these elections were conducted. The American Sikh leaders blamed the Central Government and Chief Gurdwara Election Commissioner Justice (retd) HS Brar “for creating a mess” during the SGPC elections. “The Chief Commissioner has failed to take note of the large-scale rigging and violence ... Justice Brar acted as a puppet in the hands of the ruling SAD led by the Badals,” they alleged. They requested Jathedar Gurbachan Singh to summon Justice Brar and others to the Takht. 

Seven districts with dismal female literacy rate under Sakshar Mission


Bathinda, September 20
Seven districts in the state with female literacy rate less than 50 per cent, have been selected under the Government of India’s Sakshar Bharat Mission:2012.

The districts are Faridkot, Mansa, Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Muktsar. As per the 2001 census, the female literacy rate in Mansa is 36.49 per cent (lowest), Faridkot 48.48 per cent, Muktsar 43.63 per cent, Ferozepur 44.98 per cent, Sangrur 45.64 per cent and Bathinda 46.79 per cent.
These educationally backward districts have been directed to conduct household surveys to collect data on the number of illiteratepersons. The district administrations have directed government senior secondary schools to conduct surveys in their respective
pockets and submit a report by the end of this month.“Based on the data, we will be able to get primers for functional literacy,” said Additional DC (development) Abhinav Trikha. The government would appoint motivators and a volunteer teacher would be appointed for a group of every 8 - 10 persons. A sum of Rs 2000 per month would be given to the motivators.
The stipend for the volunteers is yet to be decided. 

SENDING YOUTHS TO IRAQ


Centre names 4 registered agents 
Chandigarh, September 21Less than a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court facilitated the return of Indian youths from Iraq, the Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has named four registered and unregistered agents involved in sending the workers there.
In a communication to Union of India’s standing counsel Onkar Singh Batalvi, the ministry said: “It has been reported that three registered and one unregistered agents are involved in sending workers to Iraq”.
Giving details, the ministry said the agents included JM Overseas, Chandigarh. The registration certificate of the agent had earlier been cancelled. Further, a show-cause notice dated August 16 has been issued.
The communication was today placed before the Bench of Acting Chief Justice M.M. Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh and the hearing in the case stands adjourned.
The ministry added that the registration certificate of city-based Gayatri Travels too had earlier been placed under suspension. A show-cause notice was issued to the organisation also on August 16.
A show-cause notice was issued to Chandigarh-based Swastik Travel Service on September 19 and in case of “Hari Singh of Chandigarh, the authorities have been requested for filing an FIR”.
The communication by Director, Emigration Services, KC Badhok added: “The Embassy of India, Baghdad, has further reported that temporary accommodation has been arranged for some 90 Indian workers, out of which 42 already returned to India. As many as eight have decided to stay back in Iraq and are looking for alternative employment. At least 17 others have found alternative employment in other locations and are working there. “In respect of 23 workers, who desire their repatriation, the recruiting agent representatives have arrived at Baghdad and are arranging for their exit visa and return tickets.
“Embassy of India, Baghdad, is in contact with the Iraqi authorities for facilitating the repatriation of these Indian workers”. 

Ignorance a hurdle in treating Alzheimer’s disease


Faridkot, September 21
It is a basic human right to be loved and nurtured. However, owing to rampant superstition and quackery in the rural areas of Punjab, hundreds of elderly persons afflicted with the Alzheimer’s disease, most of them suffering from acute dementia, are confined to a room in their houses.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that results in impaired memory and reasoning. While the disease can also occur in younger people in their thirties, the risk grows considerably after 65, says Dr KS Kajal, former principal, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College. Owing to ignorance about the disease, instead of taking patients to a doctor, most families turn to sorcerers. And, in the last stage when the patient loses control over his bowel movements, is confined to a room.
At a Seminar on the World’s Alzheimer’s Day at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College here yesterday, while the doctors discussed the problem threadbare, the medical students staged a skit in a bid to make the audience aware of the problem. Besides old age, other risk factors are: a family history of the disease, stress, serious illness or injury, inadequate physical activity and poor diet, said Dr Harish Arora, head of the Psychiatry Department.
“One may notice that his or her spouse is unable to perform routine tasks and exhibits memory lapses. The diagnosis becomes more difficult when the afflicted person is living alone as there is none to realise that the person needs help,” said Dr SS Gill, VC, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) while addressing the seminar.

Custodial death: HC dismisses Punjab’s plea

Chandigarh, September 21
The State of Punjab’s attempts to wriggle out of a tight corner, in a case involving the death of an undertrial in jail due to delayed medical treatment, have failed to find favour with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Dismissing the State’s appeal, a Division Bench has not only upheld the interim compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh granted to the inmate’s widow Krishna Devi, but also ruled there was negligence on the part of the jail authorities in providing timely aid.
The State had filed the appeal against the Single Judge’s orders, even though Moga Deputy Commissioner had also recommended in his letter dated October 17, 2006, the grant of Rs 2.5 lakh as assistance to the widow and her family.
Taking up the matter, the Bench of Acting Chief Justice M.M. Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh asserted: “This is a case of custodial death. The State of Punjab has filed the instant appeal against order dated December 14, 2010, whereby the Single Judge allowed the compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh to the widow of the deceased, after recording the finding that there was failure to perform duty by the jail authorities with due diligence”.
The Bench added: “The basis of the finding was that the undertrial was not suffering from any ailment, which could be the cause of his sudden death.
The jail authorities did not even assert that he was rushed to the hospital timely and was given medical aid.
“A hale and hearty person having no ailment history and who earns his livelihood by selling eatables on a bicycle could not have met with a sudden death but for the lack of timely medical assistance.
Observing the undertrial was a BPL ration card holder, the Bench added: “We are of the considered opinion that no interference in this appeal filed by the State would be warranted.
“The meagre amount of Rs 2.5 lakh awarded as compensation to the widow of the deceased and her family cannot be regarded as without a reasonable cause.
There is negligence on the part of the jail authorities to grant timely medical aid to the jail inmate. There is, thus, no merit in the appeal and the same is hereby dismissed”. 

BC PNP Suspends Entry-Level Semi Skilled Pilot Project


The BC PNP has suspended the Entry-Level Semi-Skilled Pilot Project. No new applications are being accepted.
As noted on the BC PNP website:
The Entry-Level and Semi Skilled Pilot Project of the BC PNP expired on August 31, 2011. A review of this pilot project is currently being completed and an update will be posted on our website over the next few weeks.
Until further notice, applications will not be accepted for processing after August 31, 2011. Any ELSS applications received after this date will be returned unprocessed.
Applications received prior to the expiry of the pilot project will be accepted for processing only if the applicant meets the requirement of having at least 9 months of consecutive work experience with the same employer at the time the application is received.

Custodianship


Many minors wish to reside temporarily in Canada.  Their reasons for doing so range from making extended visits to the more common scenario of studying in Canada as an international student.
In order to obtain a visitor visa or a study permit, minor applicants generally must supply two notarized declarations.  The first is from the parent or legal guardian in the applicant’s country of origin.  The second is from the minor applicant’s intended custodian in Canada, stating that arrangements have been made for the custodian to act in place of the parent and to support the child.
On September 15, 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada introduced an exception to the custodianship requirement to some minor’s aged 17 and older.
Under 17 Years of Age
If a minor is less than 17 years of age at the time of application, a Canadian custodian will be required.  In addition to the information already required on the forms, custodians will also now have to confirm that they will reside within a reasonable distance to the minor applicant’s intended residence and/or school.
Minors Aged 17 Years or Older
Applicants who are between 17 years of age and the age of majority in the applicant’s respective intended province of residence will now no longer automatically be required to have a custodian.  Instead, applications will be assessed on a case by case basis.
In considering whether custodianship is required, officers must consider:
  • Level of the applicant’s studies – Those attending secondary school will normally require a custodian.
  • Level of independence – If the applicant has previously lived abroad independently then he/she will not require a custodian.
  • Financial capacity.
  • Travel experience
  • Accessibility of parent(s)/guardian(s)
  • Informal arrangements – Whether arrangements less formal than custodianship have been made to provide support and care for the minor student.
  • Risk environment.

NRIs guide to property received as gift

The set of tax and regulatory implications for properties received by NRIs as gift are vastly different from those received as inheritances. In this article, we see what those implications are.

Can an NRI receive property in India as a gift?

Yes, NRIs and PIOs can receive property as gifts from a person resident in India, from another NRI or from a PIO. However, the property can be only a commercial property or a residential property. Agricultural land, plantation property and farm house in India cannot be acquired by way of gift.

A foreign national of non-Indian origin cannot acquire property in India by way of gift.

What are the tax implications at the time of receiving the gift?

Gifts received from 'relatives' are not liable to tax. Relatives include: * Spouse of the individual; * Brother or sister of the individual; * Brother or sister of the spouse of the individual; * Brother or sister of either of the parents of the individual; * Any lineal ascendant or descendant of the individual; * Any lineal ascendant or descendant of the spouse of the individual; and * Spouse of the person referred to in clauses (ii) to (vi)

Moreover, if the gift was received on the occasion of marriage or from a registered trust, it may be exempt from this tax.

Any gifts over Rs 50,000 received from people who are not relatives are taxed as income in the hands of the person receiving the gift. So you would need to add the fair market value of this property to your total income and pay tax thereof.

The property may also be subject to wealth tax. According to the Wealth Tax Act, tax is payable if the net value (market value minus any loans taken to finance the assets) of the assets of an individual exceeds Rs 30 lakh.

Now, there are certain exceptions to the definition of 'assets'.

i. Only one house

If you own only one residential house, you do not have to pay wealth tax. So after receiving the property as gift, if this is the only property that you own, you do not have to pay wealth tax on it.

The question arises as to whether this includes global properties. For instance, if an NRI owns a property in the US and gets one as a gift in India, will he be subject to wealth tax on the property in India?

Parizad Sirwalla, Executive Director - Tax at KPMG explains, "For an Indian citizen who qualifies as a 'Resident but Not Ordinary Resident (NOR)' or 'Non-Resident (NR)' of India (as per the Income Tax Act 1961) as well as for a foreign national, wealth tax is applicable only on the specified assets located in India. Specified assets located outside India are subject to wealth tax only in the case of Indian citizens who qualify as 'Ordinary Resident (OR)' of India as per the IT Act.

In the instant case, if the NRI qualifies as 'NOR' or 'NR' of India, the US house property will not be considered as a specified asset for wealth tax. Further, the house property in India may be considered as exempt under Section 5 of the Wealth Tax Act provided that's the only house he owns in India.

The US house property will be considered as specified asset for wealth tax, only if this NRI (assuming Indian citizen) qualifies as 'Ordinary Resident' of India for the relevant financial year. In such case, as one residential house property is exempt for wealth-tax, either of the property (US or India) can be considered as exempt (as per Section 5 of the WT Act) and the balance will be taxable. "

ii. House given on rent for more than 300 days

If you have given the property on rent for more than 300 days during a financial year, you do not have to pay wealth tax.

If the net value of all your assets, including the gift property exceeds Rs 30 lakh, wealth tax will be charged at 1% of the amount exceeding Rs 30 lakh.

Will the provisions of clubbing of income be attracted for income tax as well as wealth tax purposes?

While the gift in itself is not taxed in the hands of the receiver if the receiver is a relative, Sirwalla is quick to caution, "Clubbing provisions similar to income tax apply and need to be evaluated in case of gift to spouse and son's wife. In such a case, property would continue to belong to the donor for the purpose of wealth tax applicability."

What this means is that in case of gifts made to the spouse or son's wife, any income earned by the gifted property is clubbed together in the hands of the person giving the gift. So if a resident Indian has gifted a property to his son's wife who is an NRI, then the rent earned from such property will be added to the total income of the person giving the gift.

Such property will also be added to the net wealth of the person giving the gift for wealth tax purposes.

Can an NRI rent out property received as a gift? What are the implications?

Yes, an NRI can rent such property. The implications are the same as those applicable for renting out purchased property.

Can an NRI sell and repatriate proceeds of property received as a gift?

Yes, an NRI can sell property received as a gift. The sale proceeds of such property should be credited to NRO account only. From the balance in the NRO account, NRI/PIO may remit up to USD 1 million per financial year, subject to the satisfaction of authorized dealer and payment of applicable taxes.

What are the tax implications on sale of property received as gift?

The tax implications of sale of property received as gift are the same as those applicable in case of purchased property.

Note: The purchase price for calculation of capital gains will be the purchase price paid by the person who gifted the property. The holding period for determining if the gains are long term or short term will be computed from the date of purchase by the person who gifted the property.

Can an NRI gift property?

Yes. An NRI or PIO may gift residential and commercial property to person resident in India or an NRI or a PIO. However, if the property is an agricultural land, plantation property or farm house, it can be gifted only to a person resident in India who is a citizen of India.

A foreign national of non-Indian origin requires the prior approval of the Reserve Bank for gifting any kind of property.

Double Taxation

You would also need to look into provisions of the countries you live in, in order to determine tax implications of gift properties. In the US for instance, individuals are subject to estate tax. An article on this will follow soon.