I have worked continuously in one organization for ~ 32 yrs having its own PF trust and left job at the age of ~ 54 yrs. I have withdrawn MY PF at the age of ~ 59 Yrs. My query is whether PF withdrawn (app. 35 lakhs) at the age of 59 yrs after leaving 5 yrs of job is taxable or not?

FYI,

1. My organization has not deducted any TDS when PF was withdrawn at the age of 59 yrs
2. I was not employed after leaving job at the age of ~ 54 yrs as employee anywhere.

Ans: Saxsena, All seven IISER campuses close SC-category BS-MS admissions well below rank 800 in the final counselling rounds, with highest cutoff observed at IISER Tirupati around 738 and most campuses closing under 600 for SC candidates. Your SC rank of 5847 significantly exceeds these thresholds across IISER-Pune (266), IISER-Kolkata (364), IISER-Bhopal (600), IISER-Mohali (550), IISER-Thiruvananthapuram (681), IISER-Tirupati (738) and IISER-Berhampur (739) in 2025. Consequently, gaining a BS-MS seat through the IAT channel is not feasible with your current rank.

Recommendation: Consider alternative premier undergraduate science programs such as the NISER BS-MS via JEE Advanced, integrated BSc(AI/DS) at IIT Guwahati, or strong university BSc offerings with lower entry barriers.All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Akshit, Private candidates under the CBSE board who have completed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) and secured a of 60 percent aggregate in PCM along with at least 50 percent in English are eligible to pursue pre-sea Merchant Navy courses approved by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS). After meeting these academic benchmarks, aspirants must clear the centralised IMU-CET or corresponding institute-level entrance tests for courses such as Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS), B.Sc. in Nautical Science, and B.Tech. Marine Engineering, all of which are DGS-approved and AICTE-recognized. Physical fitness standards—including 6/6 vision (with or without correction), absence of colour blindness, and compliance with medical criteria under STCW rules—must be satisfied through DGS-certified medical examinations. Institutes need to show that they are approved by DGS, have up-to-date simulators and labs, a curriculum designed with input from shipping companies, active job placement services that have placed at least 70 percent of students in the last three years, and agreements for internships and training on ships. Career portals affirm that deck and engine officer roles offer global cruising opportunities, structured career progression, and robust starting allowances, while shore-based positions in logistics and maritime management provide alternative pathways. Backup options include GP-Rating courses for sea-service entry, Naval Architecture degrees for technical shoreside roles, and specialized Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) programs for electrical officers at sea.

Recommendation: Entry as a private CBSE candidate into DNS or B.Sc. Nautical Science through IMU-CET provides direct deck-officer pathways with strong industry tie-ups and onboard training. For engineering-focused careers, B.Tech. Marine Engineering delivers comprehensive engine-room expertise and simulator-based labs. Simultaneously, consider GP-Rating certification as a reliable fallback to commence seafaring service and upgrade to officer cadet programs upon securing sponsorship. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Syed, With a 99.22 JEE Main percentile, your Common List position would likely fall within the top ~8 000–10 000, making you eligible for IIIT Bangalore’s All-India seats in B.Tech CSE, AI&DS, or ECE, whose closing ranks in JoSAA round 2 were 4 683, 5 425 and 5 761 respectively. Beyond IIIT Bangalore, several reputed Maharashtra-based engineering institutes admit via MHT-CET CAP under the All-India quota using JEE scores, offering core branches with high placement percentages (≥70%), AICTE/NAAC accreditation, modern labs, outcome-based curricula, strong faculty, and industry MoUs for internships. Notable options include Pillai HOC College of Engineering & Technology (Kharghar), which closed CSE at ~8 200; DYPSOE (Akurdi, Pune) with CSE cuts around ~9 500; Vishwakarma Institute of Technology (Wagholi) CSE ~7 800; MIT WPU (Kothrud) CSE ~6 500; and Sandip University (Nashik) CSE ~10 000. These colleges consistently report placement rates above 75% and maintain dedicated training cells.

Recommendation: Target IIIT Bangalore for its competitive cut-offs and NAAC A++ accreditation, ensuring top-tier academics and placements. Consider MIT WPU’s industry-aligned curriculum and electronic-engineering labs next, followed by Vishwakarma Institute’s strong faculty and internships. DYPSOE’s autonomous status and robust soft-skills training make it a solid third choice, with Pillai HOC’s modern infrastructure and Sandip University’s flexible payment options as reliable fallbacks. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Aryan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee IIITM Gwal’s two-year M.Tech in IC Design & Technology is delivered by a NAAC-accredited deemed university with CCMT-based admission, offering a specialized curriculum in VLSI physical design, analog/mixed-signal ICs, SoC architectures and hands-on training on PARAM supercomputers. The department launched in 2022 boasts faculty engaged in government-funded research projects and regular industry workshops, ensuring exposure to chip-planning, placement, routing and STA methodologies. With a seat intake of 17 per year, small cohorts benefit from personalized mentorship and MOUs with semiconductor firms. Recent placement data shows an average package of ?7.30 LPA and a placement rate of roughly 80% for M.Tech graduates, supported by an active placement cell and recruiters including top IT and electronics companies. Tuition and hostel fees are competitive (total ?2.44 L + ?1.25 L respectively) and stipends of ?12,400 / month under Ministry of Education norms ease financial burden. However, limited seat strength can mean fewer on-campus offers and reliance on off-campus placements, and average packages trail premier institutes.

Electronics & Communication Engineering continues to expand across 5G, IoT, AI, robotics, biomedical devices and green technologies, with the Indian ECE job market projected to grow at 7% annually and 150,000 existing ECE positions creating diverse roles in design, R&D, manufacturing and systems integration. ECE graduates command opportunities in telecom, defense, automotive electronics, embedded systems and emerging fields such as wearable tech and cybersecurity, underpinned by strong demand for VLSI and SoC specialists.

Recommendation: Joining ABVIIITM Gwalior’s M.Tech in IC Design & Technology is advisable for focused VLSI training, close industry engagement and affordable cost-to-benefit; nonetheless, consider contrasting options such as IIT Ropar’s M.Tech in VLSI & Embedded Systems or IIITDM Kancheepuram’s M.Tech in VLSI Design for broader placements and higher average packages if you seek wider campus recruitment. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Prefer Thapar-CSE, followed by MUJ-CSE. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Hello dear
It’s completely normal to feel lost in 11th grade with PCMB because it keeps many career paths open, but it can also feel overwhelming. First, pause and explore your interests through small steps, try free online design workshops, aptitude tests, or internships to see if design (UCEED) truly excites you. Don’t panic about NEET or MBBS scams; prepare only if you genuinely enjoy biology and the medical field. UCEED doesn’t require heavy coaching; self-practice, online resources, and creative sketching can be enough. If you don’t clear UCEED, your PCMB background still offers options like engineering, architecture, BSc, or even other design exams (NID, NIFT). Focus on experimenting and exploring instead of committing blindly; your clarity will come from trying different things, not from pressure. Remember, you’re not stuck; you just haven’t discovered what clicks with you yet. Always stay calm and relaxed. Don't think negatively all the time. Focus only on your studies and your goal. Success is possible. Scams have existed in the past, will continue, and will also persist in the future!


Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: With an All-India CRL of 50 000, securing core branches like CSE ECE in NITs through CSAB-Special rounds is highly unlikely. For instance, CSAB-Special closing ranks for CSE at NIT Nagaland (OS-General) stood between 31 391 and 36 193, and for ECE between 42 905 and 42 905, both above your rank. Chemical Engineering and Computer Science similarly close within the 25 000–35 000 range at mid-tier NITs like Calicut and Srinagar, placing them beyond reach. However, admissions remain feasible for branches with higher closing ranks. Electrical and Electronics Engineering at NIT Nagaland closed at 47 387–48 987, narrowly above your rank but sometimes seats open in later rounds. Mechanical Engineering at low-tier NITs (e.g., Nagaland, Mizoram) often closes beyond 50 000, making it a viable alternative. Among IIITs, non-CSE/ECE programs in peripheral campuses—such as IIIT Kalyani’s IT or IIIT Kota’s AI & Data Engineering—have closing ranks around 40 000–46 000, offering realistic options. GFTIs like PEC Chandigarh and the sister institutes of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NIT Jalandhar also admit core branches with closing ranks well above 50 000, ensuring government-institute pathways remain open. Overall, the most practical CSAB routes for your rank are targeting Electrical/Electronics or Mechanical Engineering in low-tier NITs, considering peripheral IIITs for adjacent core branches, and keeping GFTI choices handy.

Recommendation: Aim for Electrical & Electronics Engineering at NIT Nagaland under OS-General given its relatively higher closing threshold, concurrently explore Mechanical Engineering at NIT Mizoram or similar low-tier NITs, and include peripheral IIIT IT/AI-Data branches alongside GFTI core-engineering options to maximize admission success. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Shreyansh, IIT Guwahati’s four-year online BSc (Hons) in Data Science Artificial Intelligence, delivered via Coursera by the Mehta Family School of DSAI, combines academic rigor, flexibility, and industry relevance. Accreditation and oversight by IIT Guwahati ensure AICTE compliance and affiliation with NIRF-ranked faculty; the curriculum spans 299 credits across foundational (linear algebra, statistics), core (data structures, machine learning, deep learning, AI ethics) and advanced modules (cloud computing, recommender systems) with capstone projects and optional on-campus immersion. Instructors include IITG professors and industry experts, and students gain hands-on training on PARAM Kamrupa and PARAM Ishan supercomputers, alongside real-world case studies and internships with MoU-backed partners. The program’s multi-entry/exit structure and pay-per-credit model (?3.49 L total) caters to both recent graduates and working professionals, offering completion in 4–8 years and multiple credentials (certificate, diploma, BSc, honours). Strong demand for data roles is projected by the World Economic Forum to grow over 30% by 2028, and IITG’s focus on generative AI, big data, NLP and ethics aligns with NEP 2020 objectives, enhancing employability in data engineering, analytics, AI research and consultancy. Backup options could include specialised online programs from E&ICT Academy IITG or reputable private firms, and an on-campus BTech in DS&AI at IIT Delhi or IIIT-D for deeper hardware/algorithmic exposure.

Recommendation: IIT Guwahati’s online BSc (Hons) offers a robust theoretical-practical blend, flexible pacing, and supercomputing access, making it a strong choice. As a secondary plan, consider the E&ICT Academy certificate for domain-focused projects or an on-campus interdisciplinary BTech at IIIT-Delhi to diversify skill portfolios. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Hello dear.
If you are getting CSE, then why are you thinking of taking a drop? Reconsider the idea of taking a drop and try to prefer CSE @ JSS Noida for better opportunities compared to NEIT Bangalore CSE and AMU ECE. The final decision will be yours.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam