Revenue Secretary Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey inaugurated National e-Assessment Scheme (NeAC) here today in the presence of CBDT Chairman Shri P.C. Mody and Members Shri P.K. Das, Shri Akhilesh Ranjan and Shri Prabhash Shankar.
While inaugurating the NeAC, Shri Pandey said that it is matter of great pride and achievement for the Income Tax Department to bring NeAC to life in a small span of time. Retracing the origins of NeAC in 2017, Shri Pandey lauded the IT Department for striving to achieve transparency with speed.
Shri Pandey said that with the launch of National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC), the Income Tax Department will usher in a paradigm shift in its working by introducing faceless e-assessment to impart greater efficiency, transparency and accountability in the assessment process. He said that with NeAC, there would be no physical interface between the tax payers and the tax officers.
The setting up of NeAC of the Income Tax Department is a momentous step towards the larger objectives of better taxpayer service, reduction of taxpayer grievances in line with Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India’ and promotion of Ease of Doing Business.
In the first phase, the Income Tax Department has selected 58,322 cases for scrutiny under the faceless e-Assessment Scheme 2019 and the e-notices have been served before 30th of September 2019 for the cases of Assessment Year 2018-19.
The taxpayers have been advised to check their registered e-filing accounts/ email ids and have been requested to furnish reply within 15 days. The Department hopes that with the ease of compliance for taxpayers, the cases would be disposed off expeditiously.
Benefits of Faceless Assessment: NeAC eliminates human interface between Assessing Officer and Assessee New System optimises the utilisation of resources through economies of scale NeAC introduces team based assessment with dynamic jurisdiction Ease of compliance for taxpayers
Brings transparency and efficiency, thus improves quality of assessment and monitoring Functional specialisation as only one agency dealing with faceless assessment Expeditious disposal of cases Standardisation and quality management
About National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) : NeAC will be an independent office that will look after the work of e-Assessment scheme which is recently notified for faceless e-assessment for income tax payers. There would be a NeAC in Delhi to be headed by Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr.CCIT). There are 8 Regional e-Assessment Centres (ReAC) set up at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad which would comprise Assessment unit, Review unit, Technical unit and Verification units. Each ReAC will be headed by Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (CCIT). Cases for the specified work shall be assigned by the NeAC to different units by way of automated allocation systems. In view of the dynamic and all India jurisdiction of all officers of NeAC and ReAC, this kind of connective and collaborative effort of officers is likely to lead to better quality of assessments.
About Faceless e-Assessment: Centre Government had recently notified e-Assessment scheme to facilitate faceless assessment of income tax returns through completely electronic communication between tax officials and tax payers.
Under the new system of faceless e-Assessment, tax payers will receive notices on their registered emails as well as on registered accounts on the web portal www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in with real time alert by way of SMS on their registered mobile number, specifying the issues for which their cases have been selected for scrutiny. The replies to the notices can be prepared at ease by the tax payers at their own residence or office and be sent by email to the National e-Assessment Centre by uploading the same on the designated web portal.
This new initiative of faceless assessment is expected to increase ease of compliance for taxpayers as the cost and anxiety of taxpayers are likely to be greatly reduced. No human interface with the Department would be a game changer. This is another initiative by CBDT in the field of ease of compliance for our tax payers.
Namami Gange organizes a rafting expedition of over 2500 Km to connect with its various stakeholders
Namami Gange launches Ganga Aamantran – a unique social awareness initiative to connect with the people Posted On: 07 OCT 2019 7:03PM by PIB Delhi
The ‘Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan’ is a pioneering and historic exploratory open-water rafting and kayaking expedition on the Ganga River to be held between 10th October 2019 to 11 November 2019. Starting at Devprayag and culminating at Ganga Sagar, the expedition will cover the entire streatch of over 2500 kms of the Ganga River.
This is the first ever effort by National Mission for Clean Ganga to raft across the entire stretch of the river and also the longest ever social campaign undertaken through an adventure sporting activity to spread the message of River Rejuvenation and Water Conservation on a massive scale. The expedition will draw attention to the ecological challenges being faced by Ganga.
The expedition will encompass the five Ganga basin states including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal with stops at Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Sonepur and Kolkata.
A nine-member team of swimmer and rafters from the three Services of the Indian Armed Forces, led by acclaimed international open-water swimmer Wg Cdr Paramvir Singh is being launched in New Delhi by Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 7th October 2019. This nine-member team would be joined by 3 members from NDRF, 2 members each from WII and CSIR-IITR.
The team, during the expedition will take up public awareness campaign on the locations at which they will stop. They will organise mass cleaning drives, interact with students of the village/city and will further the message of river conservation.
Apart from the awareness campaign, the team from CSIR–Indian Institute of Toxicology Research will collect water samples from across diverse ranges of the river for the purpose of water testing, while members of the Wildlife Institute of India will undertake flora and fauna census for the year 2019.
The Expedition would comprise of members primarily from the Indian Armed Forces. The Armed Forces is supporting this expedition extensively by way of involving all the Commands & Units on the Ganga stretch and also the members from the Armed Forces Wives Welfare Association all along the Ganga Basin.
The Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will lead from the front and will not only flag-off the expedition but also be a part of the expedition from Devprayag to Rishikesh.
The expedition is led by Wing Commander Paramvir Singh from Indian Air Force, who is the only person to have swum the entire length of Ganga from Devprayag to Gangasagar in 2015. A distinguished adventure sports enthusiast, he holds 13 World, 3 Asian and 7 National Records.
The team includes Squadron Leader Dipti B Koshthi, who is a Jaguar aircraft pilot and certified open Scuba Diver, trekker and Para Jumper; Sergeant Johny Vj who is an Aqua Parasailing Instructor, certified open Scuba Diver and mountaineer; Sergeant Srihari Sarripilli who is a distinguished adventure sports enthusiast; Corporal Amrendra Vats who is a non-commissioned officer working as Medical Assistant with great experience in handling medical emergencies during adventure sports.
The team also comprises of non-commissioned officers including Corporal Vicky Tokas who has multiple records in the field of swimming, PO Bikesh Kumar who is a Sailor in the Indian Air Navy, and was a part of the expedition Swimming & Rafting down the entire length of the river Ganga from Devprayag to Gangasagar in 2015; Havaldar Rajesh Kumar and Havaldar Devendra Singh of Indian Army who are adventure sports enthusiasts.
The expedition will commence on 10th October 2019, at Devprayag, where Bhagirathi and Alaknanda merge and the Ganga begins. The expedition will continue for 33 days, through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal and culminate on 11th November 2019 at Bakkhali Beach, Frazerganj covering a total distance of almost 2,500 kms.
They would be carrying out various awareness exercises along the expedition such as Bal Ganga Mela, painting and slogan competition on the theme of water conservation and Ganga rejuvenation Interaction with colleges & universities by NMCG officials Educating students/youth on water footprint, wetlands and biodiversity conservation
Test the water campaign by IITR, water testing kits Celebrating festivals during the expedition Exclusive tie-up with Rotary International for public outreach within community and schools
Public outreach by WII, IITR, GIZ, Ganga Praharis, IAF, Army, Ganga Vichar Manch during the expedition
Posted On: 08 OCT 2019 9:45AM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has saluted air warriors and their families on Air Force Day.
However, many experts opined that this move is shocking, disappointing, and completely disregards the true meaning of the law.
Need of the hour: Many would agree that the writers of the letter were doing precisely what every citizen ought to do in a democracy — raise questions, debate, disagree, and challenge the powers that be on issues that face the nation. Therefore, the court decision warrants an urgent and fresh debate on the need to repeal the sedition law, for it has no place in a vibrant democracy.
Charges of sedition- recent concerns: There have been many incidents in recent times where “misguided” people have been termed “anti-national”.
Law enforcement agencies forget the fact that the sentiment could have been demonstrated through a slogan, a cheer, a statement, protest against a nuclear power project, or an innocuous post on social media. In all these cases, the state, across regimes, has filed charges of sedition.
Authorities often forget the fact that sedition can’t be applied to instances of criticism of the government or a political functionary. More importantly, words alone are not enough for such a charge to be slapped. Incitement to violence is the most crucial ingredient of the offence of sedition.
Going through the numbers that the National Crime Records Bureau puts out every year, it is clear that despite the rise in sedition cases, convictions happen in barely a few. Even if these people are not convicted, the slapping of these charges is a way the governments over the years have been sending a strong message to its own people—obey or be ready to face consequences.
What is Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code? Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life or any shorter term, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.
Why should it be scrapped? Draconian laws such as the Section 124-A only serve to give a legal veneer to the regime’s persecution of voices and movements against oppression by casting them as anti-national.
Short term measures to be put up in place: All speech-related offences should be made bailable offences; this would lessen the harmful impact of using arrest and custody as a way of harassing anyone exercising their rights under Article 19(1)(a).
The offences should be made non-cognisable so that there is at least a judicial check on the police acting on the basis of politically motivated complaints. In the case of hate speech, it is important to raise the burden of proof on those who claim that their sentiments are hurt rather than accept them at face value. And finally, it is crucial that courts begin to take action against those who bring malicious complaints against speech acts.
Observations made by the Supreme Court: In 1962, the Supreme Court decided on the constitutionality of Section 124A in Kedar Nath Singh v State of Bihar. It upheld the constitutionality of sedition, but limited its application to “acts involving intention or tendency to create disorder, or disturbance of law and order, or incitement to violence”. It distinguished these from “very strong speech” or the use of “vigorous words” strongly critical of the government.
In 1995, the Supreme Court, in Balwant Singh v State of Punjab, acquitted persons from charges of sedition for shouting slogans such as “Khalistan Zindabaad” and “Raj Karega Khalsa” outside a cinema after Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Instead of looking at the “tendency” of the words to cause public disorder, the Court held that mere sloganeering which evoked no public response did not amount to sedition, for which a more overt act was required; the accused did not intend to “incite people to create disorder” and no “law and order problem” actually occurred.
Key findings: Such warnings would be more impactful through increased visibility of the warning thus help prevent initiation and motivate cessation. Packs with 85% graphical warnings were perceived to be more effective in increasing noticeability of the warnings and conveying the intended health message.
These warnings are also effective in preventing non-users from initiating tobacco use, and motivating users to quit.
Background: In October 2014, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had first proposed that 85% of a cigarette packet’s surface area on both the sides should carry health warnings, up from 40% on one side of the packet. It was opposed by the tobacco industry and put on hold after the parliamentary panel said it needed to analyse the impact on the industry.
Why stricter laws in this regard are necessary? Nearly one million tobacco-related deaths take place in India every year, and in 2011, the total health expenditure burden from all diseases due to tobacco use amounted to more than Rs.1,00,000 crore, which is 12% more than the combined State and Central government expenditure on health in 2011-12.
The revenue earned through tobacco excise duty during the same period was a paltry 17% of the health burden of tobacco. Also, 12% of children in India in the 13-15 age group use tobacco. Similarly, in the case of adults in India, the percentage is 35%.
Why larger pictorial warnings are necessary? Besides being unaware of all the risks associated with tobacco use, a vast majority of consumers in India of bidi and chewing tobacco are poor and less exposed to awareness campaigns.
Hence, larger images on both sides of the packet are the most effective and powerful way to communicate health risks to this population. They also provoke a greater emotional response, decrease tobacco consumption and increase motivation to quit.
About NeAC: NeAC will be an independent office that will look after the work of e-Assessment scheme which is recently notified for faceless e-assessment for income tax payers.
There would be a NeAC in Delhi to be headed by Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Pr.CCIT). There are 8 Regional e-Assessment Centres (ReAC) set up at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad which would comprise Assessment unit, Review unit, Technical unit and Verification units.
Each ReAC will be headed by Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (CCIT). Cases for the specified work shall be assigned by the NeAC to different units by way of automated allocation systems.
Significance: In view of the dynamic and all India jurisdiction of all officers of NeAC and ReAC, this kind of connective and collaborative effort of officers is likely to lead to better quality of assessments.
Why does this matter? The oxygen-sensing ability of the body has a role in the immune system and the earliest stages of development inside the womb.
If oxygen levels are low, it can trigger the production of red blood cells or the construction of blood vessels to remedy this.
More red blood cells mean the body is able to carry more oxygen and is why athletes train at altitude. So, drugs that mimic it may be an effective treatment for anaemia.
Tumours , meanwhile, can hijack this process to selfishly create new blood vessels and grow. So, drugs that reverse it may help halt cancer.
Nobel Prize- overview: Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist, and the inventor of dynamite, in his last will and testament in 1895, gave the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, and Peace, to be called the “Nobel Prizes”.
In 1968, the sixth award, the Prize in Economic Sciences was started. The Nobel Prize consists of a Nobel Medal and Diploma, and a document confirming the prize amount.
Between 1901 and 2018, the Prizes have been awarded 590 times, the recipients during this period being 908 Laureates and 27 organisations.
How candidates are nominated? The Nobel Committees of four prize-awarding institutions every year invite thousands of members of academies, university professors, scientists, previous Nobel Laureates, and members of parliamentary assemblies among others to submit candidates for the Nobel Prizes for the coming year.
The nominators are selected in such a way that as many countries and universities as possible are represented over time.
One cannot nominate himself/herself for a Nobel Prize.
The institutions that choose winners: The Nobel Committees of the prize-awarding institutions are responsible for the selection of the candidates, the institutions being:
Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: The Karolinska Institutet Nobel Prize in Literature: The Swedish Academy Nobel Peace Prize: A five-member Committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) Prize in Economic Sciences: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The following Indians (or individuals of Indian origin) have been honoured with the Nobel: Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913), C V Raman (Physics, 1930), Hargobind Khorana (Medicine, 1968), Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979), Subramanian Chandrashekhar (Physics, 1983), the Dalai Lama (Peace, 1989), Amartya Sen (Economics, 1998), Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009), and Kailash Satyarthi (Peace, 2014).
Key facts: The system has been developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, under MoES.
It uses data of stubble burning incidents from the past 15 years to predict the date and place of the next burning, and help authorities to act in advance. Using the data, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), under the aegis of the Central Pollution Control Board, creates probability maps to alert government agencies about areas where the chances of stubble burning is going to be high.
The system can also track pollution load from stubble burning in places neighbouring the national capital, using satellite data. It can predict the air pollution level for next 72 hours. It can also forecast the level of pollutants like particulate matter (PM) 2.5, PM10, and dust, coming from sources other than stubble burning.
This will help authorities to take preventive steps to control pollution levels as well as mitigate pollution from existing sources.
Background: Every year between October and November, air quality deteriorates in Delhi and its neighbouring states, as farmers burn the residue after harvesting paddy to clear the fields and make way for the sowing of wheat, despite there being a ban on burning agricultural residue. Smoke from Punjab and Haryana travels to Delhi leading to a spike in pollution levels.
What is stubble burning? Stubble burning is a common practice followed by farmers to prepare fields for sowing of wheat in November as there is little time left between the harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat.
Impact: Stubble burning results in emission of harmful gases such carbon diaoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide along with particulate matter.
Why farmers opt for stubble burning? They do not have alternativesfor utilising them effectively. The farmers are ill-equipped to deal with waste because they cannot afford the new technology that is available to handle the waste material.
With less income due to crop damage, farmers are likely to be inclined to light up their fields to cut costs and not spend on scientific ways of stubble management.
Advantages of stubble burning: It quickly clears the field and is the cheapest alternative. Kills weeds, including those resistant to herbicide. Kills slugs and other pests. Can reduce nitrogen tie-up.
Alternative solutions that can avoid Stubble Burning: Promote paddy straw-based power plants. It will also create employment opportunities. Incorporation of crop residues in the soil can improve soil moisture and help activate the growth of soil microorganisms for better plant growth.
Convert the removed residues into enriched organic manure through composting. New opportunities for industrial use such as extraction of yeast protein can be explored through scientific research.
Need of the hour: Unless Financial assistance is to be provided by the Centre for boosting farm mechanisation, it is difficult to completely stop stubble burning. States needs to make alternative arrangements for consumption of paddy straw into the soil as per the directions of the NGT.
What needs to be done- Supreme Court’s observations? Incentives could be provided to those who are not burning the stubble and disincentives for those who continue the practice.
The existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) Scheme must be so interpreted as to enable the States concerned to wholly or partly deny the benefit of MSP to those who continue to burn the crop residue. The Central government should convene a meeting with the States.
It is the first ever national digital platform on oral health information and knowledge dissemination.
Launched recently by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in collaboration with AIIMS and other stakeholders. Aim: To sensitize the public about the significance of maintaining optimum oral health and equips them with the tools and knowledge to do so, including awareness on the nearest oral health service facility.
Components: e-DantSeva contains information about the National Oral Health Program, detailed list of all the dental facility and colleges, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material and a unique feature called the ‘Symptom Checker’.
The website also provides GPRS route/images/satellite images of the facility for easier access to the general population.