Dear Sir, My name is Sanjay Shah. I retired on 31/3/2025 at the age of68 years. I have contributed to the Employees' Provident Fund until my retirement date. I have not withdrawn my pension amount until the retirement date. In June 2025, i applied for my Provident Fund (PF) amount, which I received subsequently. I applied, in November 2025, my pension amount, under Employees' Pension Scheme, (EPS) from November 2014 (pension eligible date) till pension retirement date, which i received on 10/2/2026 accumulated pension amount of Rs.3,29,448. There were no salary in the current year (2025-26), as i retired on 31/3/2025. Now my question is that this pension amount of Rs.3,29,448 can be considered as pension / salary and basic deduction of Rs.75,000 eligible ? for Income Tax calculation purposes. I have an income of approximately Rs.25 lakhs from FD interest, Bond interest, dividend from Company / MF etc. etc. This is for your informatioin. Hope to receive your reply asap. Thanks and regards. Sanjay Shah.

Ans: Iniya, Prefer Amrita-B-ECE. All The BEST for Your Bright Future. Follow RediffGURU to Know More on 'Career | Health | Relationship | Money '.

Ans: The preference order may be: CSE @ VIT-V > CSE @MIT > CSE @ Amrita. The final decision will be yours.

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Ans: You have a chance @ Hyderabad/Goa. Keep a close eye on the iterations.

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Ans: The Preference order may be: MIT Bangalore (Mathematics & Computing) > CSE Chennai > Scaler School of Technology > UpGrad. The decision between CSE and MnC must be taken wisely and after proper discussion. Give preference to the interest of your daughter. The final decision will be yours.

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Ans: Choose Integrated M.Tech CSE (Data Science); don't take the 3-year diploma route just to reach CSE later. i.e., choose VIT, not Thapar.

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Ans: Tania Madam, If Son Is More Interested in ECE Than CSE, Prefer VIT-V-ECE. Else, Manipal-CSE. Have PES-EC-AIML as a Last Option. For COMEDK, If He Gets CSE/ECE in RVCE/BMSCE (Difficult to Get But He Must Try) MSRIT, DSCE etc., Can Have This as 3rd Preference. All The BEST for Your Son's Bright Future. Follow RediffGURU to Know More on 'Careers | Relationship | Money | Health'

Ans: Your concern is very practical. The biggest issue is not whether the apartment or plot gives better returns. The bigger issue is that buying the apartment will leave you with no emergency fund, while your salary is the only source for EMI payments.

» Looking at Your Financial Position

Age 38 gives you enough time to build wealth.
Monthly take-home salary of Rs.88,000 is decent.
The apartment cost of Rs.40 lakhs means you may need a home loan of around Rs.32 lakhs after the down payment.
The EMI would become a long-term commitment.
Most importantly, after the down payment, your emergency reserve becomes almost zero.

This is the point that deserves maximum attention.

» Why Emergency Fund Comes First

Job loss can happen unexpectedly.
Medical emergencies can arise without warning.
Family responsibilities may increase over time.
Home ownership also brings maintenance costs, registration expenses, interiors, and society charges.

If you exhaust all your savings for the down payment, even a small financial shock can create stress.

As a Certified Financial Planner, I generally prefer seeing at least 6 to 12 months of expenses and EMIs kept aside before taking a major loan.

» Should You Buy the Apartment Now?

If the flat is for self-occupation and you genuinely need a house for your family, buying can be considered.
However, I would not recommend proceeding if it leaves you with no emergency reserve.
A few years' delay is often better than entering home ownership with financial vulnerability.

Inflation is rising, but that alone should not force a purchase decision.

A financially strong buyer usually gets better peace of mind than a financially stretched buyer.

» What About Buying a Plot?

Since you specifically asked for a comparison, a plot generally requires lower capital commitment than the apartment you are considering.
It avoids a large EMI burden.
It allows you to preserve some liquidity.
However, plots do not generate regular income and can remain idle for long periods.

The decision should not be based purely on expected appreciation.

» Inflation and Today's Situation

Inflation is certainly increasing the cost of living.
But inflation also increases future salaries and earning potential for many professionals.
Taking a large loan without emergency reserves is a bigger risk than inflation itself.
Financial flexibility is valuable during uncertain economic periods.

» A More Balanced Approach

First build a strong emergency fund.
Ensure adequate health insurance coverage.
Keep some reserves for unforeseen expenses.
Then proceed with property purchase when the down payment does not wipe out your savings.
Avoid stretching yourself to the maximum loan eligibility offered by the bank.

» Final Insights

Based on the information provided, I would be cautious about purchasing the Rs.40 lakh apartment immediately because it leaves you without an emergency fund.
The lack of financial cushion is a bigger concern than inflation.
Strengthening your emergency reserve first can make the home purchase much safer.
Do not rush into a property decision simply because prices may rise in future.
A strong financial foundation should come before a large EMI commitment.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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

Ans: Preference order may be: CSE @ VIT Chennai > ECE @ Thapar > CSE @ KIIT > CSE (Economics) @ UPES

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Ans: The preference order may be: CSE @ BMS > If CSE @ Manipal > ECE @ IIIT-Ranchi > ECE @ MSRIT > EEE @ VIT-Chennai. With the BITSAT score, you may get lower branches/M.Sc. programs in newer rounds, which are not worth considering. Yet keep a close watch on what BITSAT offers you.

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Ans: Chances are higher in Chennai, and Category 3–5 is the most realistic expectation.

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