Unguaranteed Prophecies & Guaranteed Ramblings

For freelance developers/contractors/consultants,

If you work as an Information Technology Professional and offer your Services to an Indian Company then it is subject to 12.36% Service Tax [as per Section 65(105)(zzzze) of the Finance Act, 1994]. On the other hand if you offer your Services to a Foreign Company then you are exempt from paying Service [...]

The taxation rules in major Democracies are designed in such a way to promote Consumerism and Conformity. In other words they (read: Governments) don’t want people like Noam Chomskys (read: intellectuals).

OK Folks. If you are a registered PAN card holder and would like to view Tax Credit against your PAN number, you can actually sign up for the “NSDL’s view tax credit online feature” using Form 26AS. After successful registration, take a print out of the form and walk to the nearest TIN facilitator in [...]

“There is Cricket and then there is IPL”

I am getting the feeling that they (??) are sucking life out of Cricketers and sending them in to a phase of disillusionment. If true, Modi has succeeded in his vision of turning Cricketers in to Entertainers - much like Pratap Reddy has turned the Profession of Medicine [...]

OK. Here is some info. I had been to the Passport Office thrice in the last one month. Before heading to the Office I had my usual preconceived notions about Governmental Bureaucracy. Quite to my surprise, after dropping my application and that of my Parents, I received my re-issued Passport as well as my Father’s [...]

Vijay TV’s தமிழ் பேச்சு எங்கள் மூச்சு which is broadcast between 9 AM and 10 AM on Sundays is worth a watch! Don’t mistake the title of the show to Tamil fanatics right-wing hoot. It is in fact a show that encourages kids to improve their oratory skill in Tamil with interesting cues from thoughtful judges. [...]

This Cricinfo article reminds me of my time under a Manager from Australia. It was quite a painful revelation (for the lack of better oxymoron term) working under her. She used to say:

“People are extremely nice because they are extremely incompetent”

Oh, and she hated the word try. Now, I don’t know how you would feel [...]