Fact

Wishing Everyone a Happy Holi!

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

Fact

A “joey” is a baby kangaroo. When born, a joey is approximately one (1) inch in length and weighs less the one (1) pound

Fact

Released in 1975, 'I Write the Songs' was a Barry Manilow #1 hit. Ironically enough, he didn't write that song. It was written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys

Fact 20M21

It was March 7, 1876, that Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his telephone invention

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Fact 18M21

Welcoming The New Beginning: A New You

 It's a new beginning to make,

And also to break

The past sorrows,

Moving towards a new tomorrow

With a thankful heart,

For all those who are a part

Of our wonderful lives,

Who painted it with colourful dyes.

Lets remove all our egos,

Stepping towards a new go,

Where we truly care for each other

God has given us chance another!

To start a new fresh,

So now let's don't mess,

For the little things anymore

There are opportunities crores.

All we need is to make our soul pure,

Seeing then the success awaiting for sure.

Fill your hearts with colours of joy,

Life is waiting for you to enjoy,

All the little happiness,

Which you earlier felt less.

Open your eyes to see the beautiful world,

There are plenty of white pearls.

Cut the chain of all your sufferings,

Embrace yourself with new beginning.

For all the ways to come,

Difficulties are there but only some.

You will easily overcome all those,

Finishing line is so close.

Celebrate the life as a new you,

A bright future is waiting for you too!

-Anuradha Agarwal

Kolkata

 

Ways to Improve Mental health

 

Mental health has become very important all of a sudden. As the newer generations are moving from gathering livelihood to aspirational dreams, mental health is degrading at a very fast rate. Japan, one of the developed nation of the world has appointed a loneliness minister for improving the mental health of the nation. In this edition, we will be providing some ways to improve our mental health.

Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is very important thing for our physical and mental health. Sleep helps the body to regulate the chemicals in our brain that transmit information. These chemicals are important ro maintain good moods and emotions.

Proper diet

Eating well and having a proper diet is not only important for our bodies, but also important for our minds. Mineral deficiencies like iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies results in a low mood. So we should try to eat a proper balanced diet

Avoid consumption of alcohol, smoking and drugs

Drinking and smoking can cause impact on our mental health. When you are having a few drinks we can feel more depressed and anxious the next day, and it becomes harder for us to concentrate. If we smoke regularly, between cigarettes our body and brain go into withdrawal symptoms which makes us anxious and irritable.

Make sunlight a priority

Exposure to Sunlight provides a good source of vitamin D, which is an important vitamin for our bodies and our brains. It release important chemicals which improve our mood, like endorphins and serotonin. We should always try to go out in sun for minimum for 30 minutes.

Manage stress

Stress is very much unavoidable in todays lifestyle, but knowing the triggers of stress and exactly knowing how to tackle is key in maintaining good mental health.

Do something you enjoy

Its okay to pamper yourself every once in a while. Having a hobby has never been so important than now. Everyone should try to find something which they enjoy and also find time to do that. It can be a simple hobby to something serious.

Activity and exercise

People are not being active nowadays. Exercising is very much needed for maintaining good mental health also. Being active not only provides us with a sense of achievement, but it will elevate and boost the chemicals in our brain which will keep us in good mood.

One of the most important ways to keep yourself mentally healthy is to recognise that we are not feeling good, and we need to understand that we should ask for help. There is no shame in asking someone for support if you're feeling low or stressed. Everyone goes through patches where they don't feel as good as they should. Its high time we start talking and discussing about mental health and give it the importance which it deserves.

-Nilanjan Kala

 

Two sides of the New Income Tax system

 

The admirable words of L.H.Anderson, an American writer, “Be careful what you wish for, there’s always a catch” properly apply to the taxpayers of India. Keeping the demand of taxpayers in mind, the finance minister of India announced a new tax system with superfluity of tax slabs while presenting the Budget 2020. The new system is applicable from the financial year 2020-2021 onwards. The finance minister also gave taxpayers a choice between the new regime and existing one, leaving it to them to decide which they would like to select for. This has fabricated numerous confusions and chaos in the minds of taxpayers. All these factors made the tax laws more complex than unsophisticated. As the provisions of determination of tax liability and Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) would be different in the existing and new income tax system, depending on gross income and amount of tax-saving investments or deductions, selecting the right regime is very vital to avoid the excessive tax outlay. Incapable to reach out to the tax specialists for help due to the lockdown to restrain the spread of the extremely infectious novel Coronavirus, taxpayers are clueless on whether to select the old or new income tax system. The new scheme has seven slabs compared to four slabs in the old scheme. Taxpayers need not to pay tax on income up to 2.5 lakh rupees. They have to shell out 5 per cent on income above 2.5 lakh rupees to 5 lakh rupees, 10 per cent on income above 5 lakh rupees to 7.5 lakh rupees, 15 per cent on income above 7.5 lakh rupees to 10 lakh rupees, 20 per cent on income above 10 lakh rupees to 12.5 lakh rupees, 25 per cent on income above 12.5 lakh rupees to 15 lakh rupees and 30 per cent on income above 15 lakh rupees. As per the old regime taxpayers need not to pay tax on income up to 2.5 lakh rupees.  They have to shell out 5 per cent on income above 2.5 lakh rupees to 5 lakh rupees, 20 per cent on income above 5 lakh rupees to 10 lakh rupees and 30 per cent on income over 10 lakh rupees. Tax slab rates of new tax system are not distinguished based on age group unlike the old system where the basic income threshold exempt from tax for senior citizen (aged 60 to 80 years) and super senior citizens (aged above 80 years) is 3 lakh rupees and 5 lakh rupees respectively. Individuals not having business income can select between old or new system each year. So, they may exercise more useful option after vigilantly evaluating each financial year. Individuals having business income can exercise the option only once and that shall be conclusive. Individuals having salary have to choose between old and new schemes at the time of making their tax declaration to employer for the purpose of deducting tax at source.

 

Mixed Bag

The new system offers concessional tax rates compared to the existing regime. Maintenance of plethora of documents is not required as most of the exemptions and deductions are not available to the taxpayers. The new system treats all taxpayers equally and benefit of deduction or allowances would not be available. This is beneficial to the taxpayers who do not want to invest in options which have lock-in period criteria and want to invest in open-ended mutual funds or instruments or deposits, which delivers them handsome returns along with flexibility of withdrawal. The reduced tax rates of the new system would provide more disposable income to the taxpayer. In addition, taxpayers can customize their investment decisions under the new system.

 

The existing system restricts the investment choices for the taxpayer as he or she has to make the investments only in the instruments specified.

However, the major exemptions and deductions would not be available under the new tax system are plenty and they are Leave Travel concession or assistance, House rent allowance, allowances or benefits specifically granted to meet expenses incurred in performance of duties of office or employment, allowances or benefits granted to meet personal expenses in performance of duties of office or employment or to compensate for increased cost of living, Standard Deduction, Entertainment allowance, Professional tax, Interest on Home Loan on self-occupied properties, Deduction on family pension, Daily Allowance to MPs and MLAs, exemption of minor’s income up to 1,500 rupees per child, Life insurance premium, deferred annuity, contributions to provident fund, subscription to certain equity shares or debentures, tution fee of children, home loan principal repayment, Contribution to certain Pension Funds, Contribution to pension scheme of Central Government, Voluntary contribution to pension scheme of Central Government, Investment made under an equity savings scheme, Health insurance premium, Maintenance including medical treatment of a dependent who is a person with disability, Medical treatment of specified diseases, Interest on loan taken for higher education, Interest on loan taken for residential house property, Donations to certain funds, charitable institutions, Rents paid, Donations for scientific research or rural development, Contributions given by any person to Political parties, Interest on deposits in savings account, Interest on deposits in case of senior citizens and Deduction in case of a person with disability.

Which is the right choice?

Unluckily, there is no single answer to the above query. And the biggest culprit again is the convolution and complexity of the Indian tax structure. Apparently, the reduced tax rates of the new scheme should result in lower taxes. But the removal of exemptions and deductions has proven that the advantage of lower tax rates is insignificant and worthless. People invested in various instruments to claim tax reliefs will not find the new regime gorgeous. Old scheme is advantageous for the taxpayers claiming total deductions or exemptions above 2.5 lakh rupees. In case of annual income more than 15 lakh rupees and 2.5 lakh rupees annual tax-saving investments or deductions, the new scheme won’t have any advantage over the existing system. Therefore, if substantial amount of tax breaks were being availed by the taxpayers, it would be safer to be part of old scheme. Taxpayers eyeing to satisfy various financial compulsions, such as wealth creation through investments in tax-saving instruments, paying premiums to take care of insurance needs, paying children’s tuition fees, paying equated monthly installments of an education loan, buying a house with a home loan etc. the older regime still works in their interest. Taxpayers having no home loan, staying in rent-free accommodation and desiring to make small or no investments may find the new scheme advantageous.

As a final point, all the changes introduced do not categorically make things calmer and cooler for Indian taxpayers. Although finance minister of India mentioned that the new tax system will boost consumer demand, it could come at a heavy cost in the form of poorer household savings. The discretionary tax structure endangers a prominent concept that goaded taxpayers of India to save money for the future. Moreover, taxpayers have to do a comparative assessment of both schemes, before framing the final decision. Since the system is new and has many tricky provisions, taxpayers have to consult a proficient tax expert who can recommend the ideal route.

 Mind Map

NEW TAX REGIME

 · Has seven slabs of tax rates

· Optional and applicable from the financial year 2020-2021 onwards

· Tax slab rates of new tax system are not distinguished based on age group.

· Maintenance of plethora of documents is not required as most of the exemptions and deductions are not available to the taxpayers.

· Taxpayers can customize their investment decisions due to high disposable income in hand.

· Major exemptions and deductions (approximately seventy) would not be available.

· Suitable for taxpayers having no home loan, staying in rent-free accommodation and desiring to make small or no investments.

 

 OLD TAX REGIME

 

· Has four slabs of tax rates

· Mandatory

· Three different basic exemption limits has been prescribed for different age groups.

· Taxpayers have to maintain many documentary evidences to support their investments and claims to avoid the tax disbursement.

· Taxpayers have to make the investments only in the instruments specified.

·  Taxpayers can avail all exemptions and deductions.

· Suitable for taxpayers who were being availed substantial amount of tax breaks and eyeing to satisfy various financial compulsions through insurance and borrowings.

 

-Shivanand Pandit

Goa

 

 

Which smart speaker; Google, Alexa or Siri?

 

As we are getting smarter, Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri have become our digital helpers which are living inside our devices and reacting to our spoken commands to play music, and teach the spelling of those difficult homework words

If the user want a voice assistance platform, the user'll have to pick a champ.This article will explain the various options to choose the one that best meets the needs, along with the right smart speaker for the home.

How to Command Smart Speaker

Every smart speaker is called with a particular word, like "Alexa" for Alexa, "Hey, Google" for Google, and "Siri" for Siri. After they listen to the user, the user are at liberty to ask for whatever the user want. The question is how to ask.

All three voice assistants are very easy to talk to, but they can misbehave if the user don't use the proper syntax. Alexa especially needs to be spoken to in certain ways to get the results which is required. Once user is used to talking to Alexa and understand how to best phrase the userr requests it is not  a problem, but too often the voice assistant can get confused if the user use an unfamiliar term or if it is phrased in an unfamiliar way.

Google Assistant and Siri are both very much better at recognizing natural language, and generally much less frustrating to talk to. Amazon has recently begun integrating its new A1Z neural processor to its range of Echo speakers to  improve machine learning, but for now, its better to go with Google and Apple.

Smart Home and its Management

Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri can control almost any smart home device nowadays. In Alexa and Google apps, and with the help of new Siri Shortcuts feature, the user can set up different rooms of multiple devices to control, and set up multi-step routines, like "I'm leaving the house."

Most newer smart home devices are based on Wi-Fi-and hubless, or otherwise work with Alexa and Google Assistant, so the user should be covered.

If the user're going to use Siri to control the smart home, the user want to make sure the smart home devices the user buy are HomeKit-compatible, and the user have a HomePod, the iPad, or Apple TV to use as a hub. The user will then be able to create rooms, groups, and multi-step routines, and control the user’s devices remotely, but only from iOS. Apple's Home app is gorgeous, but the user have to be completely with Apple for it to work well.

Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri can all be used to control a home entertainment center or television, with a compatible TV or appropriate hardware addition like an Amazon Fire TV for Alexa, a Chromecast for Android TV for Google Assistant.

 

Third-Party Skills

Amazon's ecosystem of voice assistant has been powered by large number of third-party skills and Amazon website has a directory of them. These skills do everything from giving the user the user local transit status, to checking the user credit card balance, to trivia about the user favourite college football team, to playing games and singing songs. However, the user have to seek out the skills the user want, and use the very specific syntax they want the user to use.

 

Google Assistant has very less skills, but those skills are steadily growing. It tends to accept and understand more free-form conversation rather than demanding specific word-by-word syntax, making it easier to use with these skills. The user can check out Google's skills (which it calls "actions") in its convenient web-based directory.

Telephone Calls

All of the voice assistants will let the user make phone calls from the user’s smart speaker. Alexa and Google make free phone calls directly. Google Assistant will call numbers in the US and Canada through Google Duo. Alexa will call anyone in the US, Canada, and Mexico, but not toll-free numbers. The HomePod can be used as a speakerphone for the user’s phone, but the user have to start the call on the user’s phone.

How Do Smart Speakers Sound?

All smart speakers can play music from the user’s phone and laptop, but if the user is relying only on voice commands, then the user will have to rely on cloud services. Alexa speakers will also play Amazon music. Google Assistant speakers will play from Google Play and The YouTube music, including tunes the user've uploaded to the user’s own Google account library. Siri on the HomePod and HomePod mini will play Apple Music and songs from the user’s Apple Music account. For any of these services, the user can just ask the smart speaker to start playing music from them.

Almost all the smart speakers also support Bluetooth connections so the user can stream audio directly from the user’s tablet, or computer. Several speakers also feature 3.5mm ports, though some are output-only.

The Nest Mini and Echo Dot have both made strong strides in sound quality, but they are not capable to really fill a room, and are not quite good enough to be primary music speakers. As mentioned, the user can use them to control better speakers.

The Perfect Smart Speaker for The user

At the current moment, Google Assistant seems the superior voice assistant for smart speakers. Amazon and its ecosystem has more third-party skills, but Google is built into Android phones which has the largest ecosystem now and has better natural-language query understanding, and that makes a big difference.

Whatever voice assistant the user go with, the size and the power and the price all have to be considered. The Echo Dot and Nest Mini are the cheapest entry points into Alexa and Google Assistant. The elder siblings Echo, HomePod mini, and Nest Audio are fairly powerful but still affordable smart speakers that can be sufficient to fill a room with sound. And if the user really want to get loud, the Echo Studio and HomePod are among the biggest, and priciest, of the bunch.

And if the user want video support as well, there are always smart displays, which are basically smart speakers with touch screens.

-Nilanjan Kala

Nagpur