Intellectual Thoughts by Sanjay Panda


Mumbai Police sets up Punishing Signal to stop unnecessary honking. (watch the video)



There is a truth universally acknowledged by drivers in India: Honk your horn loud enough and the traffic lights will surely change to green. 

How many times has it happened that you are standing at a traffic signal and people waiting behind you kept honking repeatedly, even when the light was red? 


Fed up of impatient drivers, police in Mumbai have come up with a new system to punish those who cannot wait at traffic lights in silence.


The new system, said the police, was quite simple: “Honk more, wait more.”

Known as “the punishing signal”, Mumbai police installed a rigged traffic light system to tackle the problem of “reckless honkers”, which resets  the red traffic signal to a longer duration,  every time the sound of horns goes above 85 decibels and  one need  to wait more.

Great Idea!!!!! This will surely  bring discipline  and responsibility among the drivers in Mumbai.


Please  see the video  which was released by Mumbai Police.


Number of crorepati taxpayers up 20% to 97,689 in AY 2018-19: CBDT data



The Central Board of Direct Taxes  of India (CBDT) has now come out with a detailed break-up of data collected from income tax returns (ITR). 

According to the report, the number of crorepati taxpayers in India shot up 20% to 97,689 during assessment year I,e AY  2018-19 or FY 2017-18

The number of such individuals having taxable income of over 1 crore stood at 81,344 during AY 2017-18.



Here are few   important  statistics:


  India's super-rich club of those earning taxable income of above 500 crore has only 3 individuals.  

over 1.7 lakh people filed income tax returns with zero income.

There were at least 89,793 people in India who earned in between 1 crore and 5 crore. In the 5-10 crore income bracket, India had 5,132 taxpayers while the 10-25 crore range had a little more than 2,000 individuals

If the salary break-up is considered, most of the taxpayers (over 81 lakh) seem to be earning a salary in between 5.5 lakh and 9.5 lakh. The average salary income in this category is 7.12 lakh.

If taxpayers across categories like individuals, HUFs, companies, firms, etc are included, the number of those with taxable income of more than 1 crore per annum rises to about 1.67 lakh, a 19% jump from the previous year.





Over all, more than 5.87 crore income tax returns were filled, as per the statistics generated from e-filed returns (digitally signed, e-verified or where ITRV has been received) submitted up to August 15, 2019.

The data revealed that over 5.52 crore individuals, 11.3 lakh HUFs, 12.69 lakh firms and 8.41 lakh companies were among those who filed returns. 

Here is the link to the report.


India slashes corporate tax to fire up economy, Dalal street responds with a massive surge.



Diwali came early for India Inc and the bourses after the Centre slashed effective corporate tax to 25.17 per cent. Indian  Finance Minister says the new rates would be "comparable with the lowest tax rates in South Asian region and in South East Asia". The announcement sent shares soaring more than five percent in Mumbai -- the biggest jump in 10 years .



Here's what India FM announced on Friday,  20th Sept :

  • Domestic company to pay income tax at the rate of 22% subject to condition they will not avail any incentive or exemptions. 
  • Manufacturing companies set up after October 1 to get option to pay 15% tax. Effective tax rate for new manufacturing firms to be 17.01% inclusive of surcharge & tax.
  • Listed companies that have announced buyback before July 5, 2019, tax on buyback of shares will not be charged.

  • Higher surcharge will also not apply on capital gains on sale of security including derivatives held by FPIs.

  • Enhanced surcharge will not apply to capital gains arising on equity sale or equity-oriented funds liable to STT stabilise flow of funds into capital markets.

  • To provide relief to companies availing of concessions and benefits, a MAT relief by reducing it from 18% to 15%.
  • CSR 2% spending to include government, PSU incubators and public funded universities, IITs, National  Labs & autonomous  bodies engaged in  research in science, technology, engineering & medicines. 
The following graphics from Eco times of India  sums it all.