I seek your expert advice on the following:

 1. I am retired Government servant (MP) since 2006-age 76 with only income from pension
2. This year I had closed my PPF account and redeem TATA mutual fund TINFD -the amount is deposited in my Sbank account
3. I would like to know will there be any tax liability covering short/long term capital gain on the amount received.

Hope you will provide me necessary advice

Ans: IEM Newtown’s CS with Data Science stream benefits from the institute’s consistent B.Tech placement rates of 83.97% (2022), 87.45% (2023), and 87.46% (2024), placing over 770 students annually. Recruiters such as TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Capgemini, Amazon, Deloitte, and Oracle actively hire from here, supported by focused training in AI, ML, and analytics. While most roles are general IT positions, the dedicated Data Science curriculum and industry tie-ups provide relevant exposure, though pure DS placements remain limited. The recommendation is to leverage internships and certifications in Data Science alongside campus recruitment to secure specialized analytics roles. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Suhas, With a rank of 2200 in SRMJEEE Phase 2 and Data Science as your chosen branch, you have a very strong chance of being allotted Data Science at SRM’s main (Kattankulathur) campus. The 2025 cutoff for Computer Science at the main campus is typically up to 2000, and Data Science, being slightly less in demand, generally extends beyond this, often up to 3500–4000 in recent years. The seat matrix for SRM shows a large number of CSE-related seats, further improving your prospects. SRM’s Data Science program is internationally accredited and recognized for academic excellence, with robust placement records and top recruiters from the IT and analytics sectors. The recommendation is to proceed confidently, as you are highly likely to secure Data Science at SRM main campus with your current rank. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: With a score of 110 in IAT 2025 under the general merit category, your chances for admission to IISER Thiruvananthapuram or IISER Bhopal are very slim. The expected cutoff for general category candidates at IISER Bhopal is 110–115 marks and at IISER Thiruvananthapuram is 115–120 marks, with most reliable sources indicating that the safe zone for these institutes starts above your score. Additionally, the corresponding expected cutoff ranks for these institutes are within the top 3100–3300, and a 110 score is likely to place you just outside this range due to increased competition and rising cutoffs this year. The recommendation is to be prepared for the possibility of not securing a seat at IISER TVM or Bhopal with your score and to actively consider other IISERs with lower cutoffs or alternative science programs. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Soham, With a 99.81 percentile in MHTCET and 97.3 percentile in JEE Main, you surpass the MHTCET closing percentile for VJTI Information Technology (99.71) but fall just short of the Computer Engineering cutoff (99.83), making IT admission very likely and CS borderline. COEP’s B.Tech in Robotics & Artificial Intelligence (AI-ML) closed between 99.75 and 99.79 for general candidates, and your score places you marginally above that range. SPIT Mumbai’s Computer Science closing percentile was 99.32–99.38, so your SPIT CS admission through MHTCET is effectively secured. Over the past three years, VJTI IT branch placements were 100% in 2020, 98% in 2023, and 83% in 2024; SPIT CS consistently achieves over 90% placement annually; and COEP’s overall undergraduate placement rates were 69.15%, 77.37%, and 73.35% in the last three cycles.

The recommendation is to treat SPIT CS as your secure option, prioritise VJTI IT for robust IT foundations, pursue COEP AI-ML if you aim for an AI-focused career, and consider VJTI CS as a stretch given its marginal cutoff gap to balance placement potential and specialization goals. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: With an OBC-NCL category rank of 6343 in the IISER Aptitude Test, admission to any IISER through the IAT channel is not possible, even for the least preferred campuses. The closing OBC-NCL ranks for the lowest preferred IISERs, such as Berhampur and Tirupati, were around 2407 and 2318 respectively in the latest rounds, and all other campuses had much lower OBC-NCL closing ranks, typically under 2000. The trend over recent years confirms that OBC-NCL seats do not open beyond these ranks, and there is no separate or lower cutoff for girls in the OBC-NCL category. The recommendation is to explore alternative science programs or institutes, as IISER admission is not feasible at this rank. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: IIT Kanpur Chemical Engineering showed 70% placements in 2022, 69% in 2023, and 82% in 2024. IIT Jodhpur’s Artificial Intelligence & Data Science recorded 97.92% in 2022, 91.88% in 2023, and 89% in 2024. IIT Roorkee Mechanical Engineering achieved 70% in 2022, 69% in 2023, and 74.6% in 2024. While Chemical provides stable core branch outcomes at a premier institute, AI & Data Science and Mechanical demonstrate strong, evolving prospects; given the high probability of landing AI & DS and its rapidly growing domain, the recommendation is to float and await the AI & Data Science option at IIT Jodhpur. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Academic Reputation: PDEU holds stronger national recognition with NAAC A++ accreditation versus Ahmedabad University's NAAC A grade. PDEU's NIRF ranking in engineering (101-150) surpasses Ahmedabad University's overall ranking of 151.

Placement Performance: While PDEU shows superior overall placement rates (90% vs 97% claimed by Ahmedabad University), the branch-specific analysis reveals significant differences. PDEU's electrical engineering provides more reliable placement outcomes compared to its ECE branch, while Ahmedabad University's CSE offers better career prospects in the technology sector despite variable placement statistics.

Infrastructure and Campus Life: Both institutions provide excellent infrastructure, though PDEU's larger 100-acre campus and comprehensive facilities receive higher student ratings. PDEU's energy-focused research environment and industry partnerships with companies like Reliance, ONGC, and Adani provide unique advantages.

Career Prospects: Electrical engineering at PDEU aligns with traditional core engineering career paths in power systems, renewable energy, and manufacturing sectors. CSE at Ahmedabad University opens opportunities in software development, artificial intelligence, and emerging technology domains with higher growth potential and salary prospects.

Branch Upgrade Feasibility
The branch upgrade from electrical to ECE at PDEU presents significant risks given ECE's poor placement performance (30-40% vs 90% electrical). The upgrade process requires maintaining strong academic performance and depends on seat availability, making it uncertain.

The recommendation is to choose Ahmedabad University's CSE program over PDEU Gandhinagar's electrical engineering, despite PDEU's stronger institutional reputation. CSE offers superior long-term career prospects, higher salary potential, and better industry alignment with current market demands, while electrical engineering at PDEU, though more reliable for placements, provides limited growth opportunities. Waiting for ECE upgrade at PDEU is not advisable given the branch's poor placement record and uncertain upgrade prospects. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: With an ST category rank of 2528 in the IISER Aptitude Test, your son is unfortunately not eligible for admission to any of the IISERs, as the closing ranks for the ST category in recent years have consistently been much lower—typically between 54 and 475 across all IISER campuses, including Pune, Berhampur, Tirupati, Mohali, Bhopal, and Kolkata. Even at the most accessible IISERs, such as Berhampur and Tirupati, the ST closing ranks have not exceeded 475 in the latest rounds, and cutoffs are expected to remain in this range for 2025 due to increased competition and limited seats. The recommendation is to consider other science institutes or state-level options, as admission to IISER with a 2528 ST category rank is not possible. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: With rank 14,500 in SRMJEEE Phase 2, you have strong opportunities for CSE across multiple SRM campuses while securing good branches at the main campus. SRM operates six primary campuses: Kattankulathur (main Chennai campus), Ramapuram, Vadapalani (both in Chennai), Ghaziabad (Delhi-NCR), plus sister universities in Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Sikkim, and Haryana. Your rank positions you at the boundary between main campus non-CSE branches and CSE availability at other campuses.

Main Campus Analysis: SRM Kattankulathur's CSE cutoff typically closes around 8,000-9,000 rank, making CSE unlikely at your rank. However, you're well-positioned for Mechatronics (closing around 42,000-48,000), ECE (22,000-27,000), and Nanotechnology (around 70,000).

Alternative Campus Options: SRM Ramapuram offers CSE up to rank 65,000 with excellent placement records—100% placement for the past six years, with recent highest packages of 26.4 LPA for CSE 2025 batch. SRM Ghaziabad (Delhi-NCR) accepts CSE students up to rank 54,000 and provides proximity to Delhi's tech ecosystem. SRM Amaravati achieved 100% CSE placements in 2021 with average package of 7.05 LPA. SRM Sikkim offers CSE with 85% overall placement rate and growing industry connections.

Placement Comparison: While main campus placements are premium, Ramapuram maintains competitive records with 1,136 CSE students registered in 2025, achieving 705 placements. Other campuses provide good industry exposure—Amaravati's first CSE batch secured 100% placements with 71% in super dream/dream offers, and Sikkim reported 91% placements in 2019-20.

The recommendation is to secure CSE at SRM Ramapuram or Ghaziabad over main campus Mechatronics/ECE/Nanotechnology, as CSE offers broader career flexibility, higher industry demand, and these campuses maintain strong placement records with dedicated industry partnerships while providing similar SRM brand value and curriculum standards. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.