Ram temple issue: Ravi Shankar in touch with Imams, swamis

Bengaluru, July 2: Congress leader and seven-time MLA D K Shivakumar today took charge as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress committee in the presence of senior leaders of the party.

The formal was held at the KPCC office in Bengaluru. The ceremony is said to be a first of its kind in the country as 10 lakh people from the remotest corners of the state — 462 blocks and 6,000 gram panchayats and municipalities across 7,800 locations —witnessed it online.

Dinesh Gundu Rao , MLA, and immediate past president, handed over the party flag to Mr. Shivakumar. Senior leaders Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge, and other MLAs and MLCs attended the programme.

AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal spoke on the occasion and lashed out at the Modi government for poor handling of economic and health issues in the country.

Bengaluru, Jan 19: The Karnataka government has given its nod to teach 'Vivekadeepini' slokhas, authored by Adi Shankaracharya, in schools across the state, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Saturday.

At an event called 'Vivekadeepini Mahasamarpane,' organised by Vedanta Bharati, Yediyurappa said, "It has been noticed that Vivekadeepini, which evolves the mind and illumines a person, has a great effect on students.

Parents and teachers have found a positive change among children who were inspired by Vivekadeepini." "Hence, the government has given its nod to allow teaching Vivekadeepini in the schools in Karnataka," he added.

According to the organisers of the event, around two lakh children from 50 schools participated in the event where they were taught to chant Vivekadeepini, comprising verses for the seekers in the spiritual journey.

Yediyurappa reminded the audience that the Indian culture and civilisation is the oldest and the best, which they should feel proud of. Likening Amit Shah to the first union home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he said, "After Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel if we have seen a union home minister, it is Amit Shah, who has successfully resolved many burning issues of the countries within a few months.

"Shah succeeded in finding a permanent solution to Kashmir issue," Yediyurappa said.

New Delhi, Feb 1: The budget is a little more demanding of the non-resident Indian. Firstly, to be categorized a non-resident, an Indian now has to stay abroad for 240 days, against 182 previously. In other words, an Indian national, to claim the non-resident status, can’t stay in India for 120 days or more in a year.

“We've made changes in Income Tax Act where if an Indian citizen stays out of the country for more than 182 days, he becomes non-resident,” said Revenue Secy Ajay Bhushan Pandey. “Now in order to become non-resident, he has to stay out of the country for 240 days.”

The second rule is more deadly: a non-resident Indian, who is not taxed in the foreign country, will become taxable in India.

“If any Indian citizen is not a resident of any country in the world, he'll be deemed to be a resident of India and his worldwide income will be taxed,” said Pandey.

"It's a very big disadvantage for Indians residing overseas only to save on tax,"  said Dinesh Kanabar of Dhruva Advisors. He expects that many Indians stay abroad in countries, where the income tax is low or nil such as Dubai. Now they will be taxed in India if they are in the income tax bracket.

For Indians, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman revised income tax rats and proposed new tax slabs.

The new income tax rates will, however, not allow exemptions under Section 80C. Home loan exemption, insurance exemptions, the standard deduction will also not stay under the regime.

"The new tax regime will be optional and the taxpayers will be given the choice to either remain in the old regime with exemptions and deductions or opt for the new reduced tax rate without those exemptions," Sitharaman said while unveiling Budget.