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Tax Expert - Answered on Apr 06, 2023

Mahesh Padmanabhan has specialised in payroll, personal and corporate taxation for more than two and a half decades, enabling him to provide practical, realistic and correct advice to his clients.
He is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has a degree in cost accounting from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
He is also a qualified information systems auditor. ... more
Rajeev Question by Rajeev on Apr 05, 2023Hindi
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Sir I am in a temperory govt job and recieving a salary around 75k per month..since 5 months i didn't recieve salary due to some technical problem and now they are planning to pay me whole amount in financial year 2024..due to this my slab will change from 20%to 30% and i need to pay more tax without any salary hike..can you suggest some solution for that..

Ans: Hi Rajeev
Salary is taxable on receipt or due basis, whichever is earlier. Hence technically you are liable to be taxed for the salary in the year it was due to be received regardless of the fact that it was not actually paid to you.

In case you do not have any other source of income, this 5 months salary would not attract any tax under either of the tax regimes so you could go ahead disclose this income in the current year and not in 2024
DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information to be as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision.
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My son got 94 percentile in mht cet 2026 pcm and 90.52 in jee mains. He can get electronics in K J Somaiyya Institute of Technology, Sion, Mumbai, Electronics in Agnel Charities' FR. C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology, Vashi, and CS in Don Bosco Mumbai. What should I prefer for better future prospects. He is comfortable in both CS and extc. We want to know what should we opt for better future prospects.
Ans: Since your son is comfortable with both CSE and EXTC, choose KJSIT Sion EXTC, followed by Don Bosco & Fr. C. Rodrigues. KJSIT offers the best institutional reputation, flexibility to pursue either electronics or software careers through electives, projects, internships, and placements, making it the strongest long-term option. All The Best for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Jul 22, 2026

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icici pru Nifty IT index fund? is this good for investment now?
Ans: You are looking at the IT sector after a phase of underperformance. That itself is a sensible thought process. Many quality IT companies are trading below their earlier peak valuations. Long-term opportunities may emerge if earnings growth improves.

» My Assessment On Sector-Based Investing

– An IT-focused fund is a sector fund.

– Sector funds can deliver strong returns during favourable cycles.

– But they can also remain stagnant for several years.

– Returns depend heavily on one industry.

– If global technology spending slows, performance may suffer.

– US economic growth, interest rates and technology budgets also influence results.

– Hence, sector funds carry higher risk than diversified equity funds.

» Why I Am Not A Big Fan Of Index Funds

– Index funds invest purely based on index weightage.

– No fund manager can avoid expensive stocks.

– No flexibility to move away from weak companies.

– No opportunity to increase allocation to emerging winners.

– The fund simply follows the index, whether markets are attractive or expensive.

– During market corrections, there is no active risk management.

– Investors get average market performance, not better-than-market performance.

– In concentrated sectors like IT, this limitation becomes even more important.

» Benefits Of Actively Managed Funds

– Experienced fund managers can identify future leaders early.

– They can reduce exposure to companies facing business challenges.

– They can manage sector allocation based on opportunities.

– They can maintain cash when valuations become excessive.

– They can take advantage of changing market conditions.

– Over long periods, good active funds have often created meaningful alpha over benchmarks.

» Should You Invest Now?

– If your existing portfolio already has adequate exposure to diversified equity funds, a small allocation to the IT sector may be considered.

– However, making a large investment into a single sector may not be prudent.

– For most investors, diversified actively managed equity funds remain a better core strategy.

– Sector exposure should generally remain a satellite allocation and not the foundation of wealth creation.

Regularly:

– Review your overall asset allocation first.

– Check existing exposure to technology stocks through mutual funds.

– Assess your investment horizon. Ideally 7+ years for sector funds.

– Avoid investing based on recent performance alone.

– Use staggered investments instead of deploying a large lump sum at one time.

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– The IT sector may offer opportunities over the long term.

– However, a sector-based index fund carries concentration risk and lacks active management flexibility.

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– If you want IT exposure, keep it limited and supplementary rather than making it a major portfolio holding.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

AMFI-Registered MFD – ARN 4188

www.holisticinvestment.in

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

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Hi Sir, My son is pursuing a BSc in Physics Honors from St. Stephen's, Delhi, and wishes to study quantum physics. One option is to do a master's from abroad after exiting the 3rd year, and another is to complete the BSc 4th year and then do a PhD. He got a 9+ GPA at St. Stephens, 96.6% in intermediate, and the 99.4th percentile in CUET. Any suggestions and strategies for foreign universities with good quantum labs? Money is not a constraint; I already secured a 2 crore fund for his study. Masters may need funds, as PhDs are mostly sponsored by the universities.
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Hi, my son got 425 marks in neet. belongs to MP, general category. please suggest chances of govt seat in mbbs. If it is not than what is next better option is ? should he opt for BDS or BAMS? if pvt mbbs chance is there, what could be the total cost of course ?
Ans: Based on official 2025 MP DME counselling data, a General category candidate from Madhya Pradesh with 425 NEET UG marks faces almost impossible odds for a Government MBBS seat through the 15% All India Quota and low chances through the regular 85% MP State Quota. While most Unreserved government seats closed well above this score in Round 1, low-to-moderate chances might exist if cut-offs drop substantially in later rounds or stray vacancies at newer colleges, though these should be treated as lucky exceptions. For example, last year’s cut-off for the Amaltas Institute of Medical Sciences in Dewas was 446. Conversely, securing a private MBBS seat in MP or other states is a moderate to high possibility depending on financial flexibility, with total course costs ranging from roughly Rs.50 lakh to over Rs.1.2 crore. If private medical colleges exceed the budget, BDS offers excellent ROI and strong long-term opportunities through MDS or private practice, while BAMS provides growing career potential in the expanding AYUSH sector. Your son should logically order their preferences as Government MBBS, Affordable Private MBBS, Government BDS, Government BAMS, Private BDS, and finally Private BAMS. Even with the marginal admission boost from the 2026–27 MBBS seat expansion, competition remains intense, making it critical to participate broadly in MCC, MP State, Deemed University, and AACCC counselling across all rounds with a strategic mix of dream, realistic, and safe choices. All The Best for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related document carefully before investing. The securities quoted are for illustration only and are not recommendatory. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information and as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision. RediffGURUS is an intermediary as per India's Information Technology Act.

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