Hello sir, I'm a DASA student applying to IIITH for the 2025-26 batch. My current curriculum is the NSW HSC from Australia, which includes Mathematics and Physics but not Chemistry. IIITH requires Maths, Physics, and Chemistry for DASA eligibility, and I need to figure out how to add Chemistry.I've been looking into taking Chemistry through NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling), but I'm concerned because IIITH's brochure specifies that the subjects must be completed "outside India," and NIOS is an Indian board. I've emailed IIITH for clarification, but I'm still waiting for a response. Is NIOS accepted for DASA?

Ans: Hello Linyu
It won't affect & stop you from writing the exam. Don't worry.

Ans: Gaurav, Around 89–91 percentile, depending on shift difficulty and normalization. ALL the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Please show your 10th marksheet at the exam centre for name verification. Since you have filled out the photo verification certificate, it usually won’t be a problem; carry your Aadhaar, marksheet, and the certificate together. But try to match the names' details officially as soon as the exam is over to avoid any problems in the future. (You can take the legal help)

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Narasimhan Sir, according to today’s (13th April 2026) Times of India (Education Times) advertisement, Madras School of Economics offers multiple programmes such as a 5?year Integrated MA, MA programmes in five specialisations, MBA, MSc in Data Science, and even PhD. Now, regarding your son’s wish to pursue an MA and also keeping in mind that he is already pursuing the ICSI Executive Course, it is important to know whether he has decided which one of the five MA specialisations—Actuarial Economics, Applied Quantitative Finance, Environmental Economics, Financial Economics, or General Economics—he wants to choose and why. However, since he has already joined the ICSI Executive, it is advisable to go for the MA in Financial Economics, because its core courses and electives in financial markets, asset pricing, corporate finance, risk, and regulation directly complement the CS Executive papers on Corporate Accounting, Financial Management, Capital Markets, and Securities Laws. This combination is very helpful for careers in corporate finance, investment banking, and financial?compliance advisory, where both domain?specific economics knowledge and legal?compliance skills are highly valued. At the same time, your son must be sure and confident that he can comfortably manage the workload of both ICSI and the MA in Financial Economics. As far as placements are concerned, all five MA specialisations—General Economics, Financial Economics, Applied Quantitative Finance, Actuarial Economics, and Environmental Economics—have broadly similar placement outcomes, but Financial Economics and Applied Quantitative Finance usually lean more towards higher?paying jobs in finance and analytics, while Environmental Economics and General Economics often lead more towards policy, research, consulting, and data?heavy roles. It should also be noted that success in placements does not depend only on the specialisation, but also on the student’s skill upgradation, soft skills, a strong LinkedIn profile, and effective networking strategies. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Ans: In that case, you will be required to offer the entire capital gain and pay capital gains tax along with Interest.

Vipul J Bhavsar
Chartered Accountant
www.capitalca.in

Ans: I assume you are asking the tax situation for FY 2025-26 for which return of income to be filed on or before 31 July 2026.
Government valuation as on 1 Apr 2001 needs to be taken, which shall be her cost of acquisition for her share. She can purchase new property within 2 years from Aug 2025 however, till then she needs to deposit the funds in Capital Gain scheme and she will not be required to pay Capital gains tax.
You need to consult CA since there are other things to be considered to arrive at the decision and tax event in your case.

Vipul J Bhavsar
Chartered Accountant
www.capitalca.in

Ans: Dear Anonymous,
You have two paths n front of you; either you move on or make your marriage work.
Both paths are not easy but the latter can help you rebuild your marriage. But if you feel strongly about moving on, do find a good lawyer who can help you with the legal proceedings.
To maintain your dignity, make sure that you clearly state what you want as a part of your separation and NO, there is no shame or backing out in this; your lawyer should be able to take care of this.
Also, divorce can take a huge toil on your emotional health; make no mistake about it especially since you are the aggrieved one in this case. And if your husband chooses to contest, the battle can turn ugly. Be prepared for these turn of events; keep your family and friends close as you will need to fall back on someone.

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

Ans: Dear Satya,
Mind and Body are connected; so what happens to the body also affects the mind and vice-versa.
If stress is being allowed to take over, it simply means a person has allowed his/her mind to control them. Learning how to manage stress can help:
- do activities that keep one in the present moment
- doing at least 20 mins of what one loves everyday
- exercise and good sleep are a must
- check what people surround the person

A small tweak can go a long way in managing stress; one must just have the willingness to do that!

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

Ans: It is very good to see that at age 24 you are already planning SIP for 30–35 years and also thinking about a separate marriage fund. Starting early gives you a very strong advantage in wealth creation.

Your approach shows clarity and discipline.

» Review of your long-term SIP combination (30–35 years)

Your proposed allocation:

– Flexi cap category fund
– Midcap category fund
– Nifty index fund

Allocation: 30 : 30 : 40

This structure has growth potential. But there are two important improvements required.

First improvement:

Index funds are not suitable when your target is very long-term wealth creation like 30–35 years.

Reason:

– index funds only copy market returns
– they cannot select future winning companies early
– they cannot avoid weak sectors
– they cannot manage downside risk actively
– they cannot generate extra return above market

Actively managed funds can:

– adjust sector allocation
– identify emerging companies
– control risk better during corrections
– generate higher long-term alpha

So instead of index category exposure, one more actively managed category fund is better.

Second improvement:

Your portfolio currently has only one large-cap exposure indirectly through flexi cap category. It is better to include a large & midcap category fund or multi-cap category fund for balance.

Suggested improved structure:

– Flexi cap category fund (core foundation)
– Midcap category fund (growth engine)
– Multi-cap or large & midcap category fund (balance + stability)

This improves diversification and return consistency.

» Important observation about investing through direct plans

You mentioned investing through direct option.

Direct plans look attractive because expense ratio is lower. But many investors face practical issues:

– no professional monitoring support
– no asset allocation guidance
– no rebalancing discipline
– emotional switching during market falls
– difficulty in tax planning decisions
– lack of withdrawal strategy planning later

Regular plans through a Mutual Fund Distributor guided by a Certified Financial Planner help in:

– proper category selection
– portfolio correction at right time
– behavioural guidance during volatility
– tax-efficient switching decisions
– retirement income strategy planning

Over a 30–35 year journey, guidance quality matters more than small expense difference.

» Strategy for your marriage fund (3-year goal)

This is a short-term goal.

Equity mutual funds are not suitable for 3-year horizon.

Because:

– markets can fall suddenly
– recovery may take time
– capital may not be available when needed

Safer approach is better.

Suitable categories:

– conservative hybrid category fund
– short duration debt category fund
– bank FD combination approach

This protects your marriage fund from market volatility.

If marriage date is fixed, safety becomes even more important.

» Suggested smart approach to manage both goals together

You are handling two timelines:

– 30–35 year wealth creation
– 3-year marriage goal

So keep investments separate.

Long-term SIP bucket:

– flexi cap category fund
– midcap category fund
– multi-cap or large & midcap category fund

Marriage fund bucket:

– conservative hybrid category fund
– short duration debt category fund

This avoids mixing risk levels.

» Additional steps to strengthen your financial foundation at age 24

Along with SIP planning:

– maintain emergency fund equal to 6 months expenses
– take health insurance if not already taken
– start term insurance after income stabilises
– increase SIP every year when salary increases

These steps multiply long-term wealth success.

» Finally

Your early start itself is your biggest strength.

Replace index exposure with another actively managed category fund.

Keep marriage fund in safer investments.

Continue SIP for 30–35 years with discipline and yearly increase. This approach can create strong wealth over time.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramalingamcfp/