Dear Sir, I was working for DOT Central Govt service since 1985. Later in 1st Oct 2000 BSNL (PSU) was formed and all the employees were absorbed in BSNL. I retired after taking VRS on 31-01-2019. My accumulated EL leave was 117 as on 1st oct 2000.

After my VRS bsnl paid leave encashment for 236 days (Dot period 117+ BSNL period 119 accumulated leave). While making the payment BSNL allowed full tax exemption for dot period and 3 lakh was exempted against leave salary paid and for balance IT recovered. But I got a demand notice from IT dept to pay tax for the entire DOT leave period. Is this correct? If it is exempted rom IT pl share the copy of such Govt order for appeal purpose to IT as support doc to convince them.

Ans: Snjana, With a KCET rank of 1.35 lakh (135,000), securing admission in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning courses presents significant challenges but limited opportunities exist in select private engineering colleges across Karnataka. The expected KCET cutoff rank for AI/ML in top colleges ranges between 1,000-3,600, with premier institutions like RVCE, BMSCE, and MSRIT closing admissions within the top 2,000-4,000 ranks. However, several mid-tier and lower-tier private colleges accept ranks up to 1.30-1.40 lakh for AI/ML programs, including colleges like APS College of Engineering (AI/ML at 1,26,676 rank), Gopalan College of Engineering (CS with AI/ML at 1,18,000), and Jain Institute of Technology (AI at 1,39,136). These colleges typically charge annual fees ranging from ?1-2.5 lakhs through regular admission and ?3-8 lakhs through management quota. While government engineering colleges and popular branches will likely be closed at your rank, private engineering colleges in Karnataka offer viable pathways with over 135 institutions providing AI/ML programs. The placement prospects at these colleges vary significantly, with lower-tier institutions showing moderate placement rates compared to top-tier colleges. Recommendation: Apply to multiple private engineering colleges including APS College of Engineering, Gopalan College of Engineering, Jain Institute of Technology, and other mid-tier institutions accepting ranks around 1.30-1.40 lakh for AI/ML programs, while also exploring management quota options in better colleges if budget permits. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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