Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Result Update on Styrolution

Result Update on Styrolution for 2QCY2013 with an Buy recommendation and a Target Price of `492 (12 months).
 
 
Styrolution ABS Ltd. (Styrolution) reported mixed set of numbers for 2QCY2013. Top line for the quarter came in flat at `230cr, lower by 2.4% yoy as compared to our estimate of `268cr. EBITDA grew marginally by 0.8% yoy and came in at `15cr, while margins expanded by 20bp yoy to 6.3% owing to lower raw material cost as percentage of sales. However, due to sharp depreciation in the currency during the quarter, EBITDA margin has eroded by 337bp sequentially. Net profit plunged by 14.7% yoy to `8.3cr on account of lower other income (by 7.0% yoy) and higher tax outgo (39.5% of PBT as compared to 29.3% in 2QCY2012). We have revised our estimates downwards but continue to maintain Buy rating on the stock with the revised target price of `492, based on target PE of 14x for CY2014E.
 
Kindly click on the following link to view the Report.
 

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Salaried with total income upto Rs. 5 lakh also to FIle IT return for A.Y. 2013-14

Salaried with total income upto Rs. 5 lakh also to FIle IT return for A.Y. 2013-14
 
CBDT has vide its press release dated 22/07/2013 clarified that exemption for filing return of income for salaried employees having total income upto Rs. 5 lakhs including income from other sources upto Rs. 10,000/- was only for assessment year 2011-12 and 2012-13 respectively.  The exemption was given considering ‘paper filing of returns’ and their ‘processing through manual entry’ on system.      
      
However, this year the facility for online filing of returns has been made user-friendly with the advantage of pre-filled return forms. These E-filed forms also get electronically processed at the central processing centre in a speedy manner. Hence, the exemption provided during the last two years is not being extended for assessment year      2013-14.

RBI prescribes Periodicity of KYC document updation

RBI prescribes Periodicity of KYC document updation

RBI/2013-14/150
DBOD.AML.BC. No. 34/14.01.001/2013-14
July 23, 2013
The Chairmen / CEOs of all Scheduled Commercial Banks
(Excluding RRBs)/Local Area Banks / All India Financial Institutions
Dear Sir,
Know Your Customer (KYC) Norms /Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Standards/ Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligation of banks under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 – Simplifying norms for Periodical Updation of KYC
Please refer to paragraph 2.4 (k) of our Master circular DBOD.AML.BC. No. 24/14.01.001/2013-14 dated July 1, 2013 on Know Your Customer (KYC) Norms / Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Standards/Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligation of banks under PMLA, 2002 which states that “Banks should introduce a system of periodical updation of customer identification data (including photograph/s) after the account is opened. The periodicity of such updation should not be less than once in five years in the case of low risk category customers and not less than once in two years in case of high and medium risk categories”.
2. The issue has been reviewed in the light of practical difficulties/constraints expressed by bankers/customers in obtaining/submitting fresh KYC documents at frequent intervals as the relative documents submitted earlier specially by low-risk customers have remained unchanged in most of the accounts. Accordingly, based on the suggestions received, it has been decided to amend the instructions as under:
a) Banks would need to continue to carry out on-going due diligence with respect to the business relationship with every client and closely examine the transactions in order to ensure that they are consistent with their knowledge of the client, his business and risk profile and, wherever necessary, the source of funds.
b) Full KYC exercise will be required to be done at least every two years for high risk individuals and entities.
c) Full KYC exercise will be required to be done at least every ten years for low risk and at least every eight years for medium risk individuals and entities.
d) Positive confirmation (obtaining KYC related updates through e-mail/letter/telephonic conversation/forms/interviews/visits, etc.), will be required to be completed at least every two years for medium risk and at least every three years for low risk individuals and entities.
e) Fresh photographs will be required to be obtained from minor customer on becoming major.
3. Banks may revise their KYC policy in the light of the above instructions and ensure strict adherence to the same.
Yours faithfully,
(Prakash Chandra Sahoo)
Chief General Manager

Sunday, July 21, 2013

How to shield yourself from credit card fraud ?

How to shield yourself from credit card fraud ?
 
Rikin Choksi was in the news last week, when he reported a fraud involving his wife’s credit card. The Mumbai-based businessman was shocked when he read e-mails stating that his wife’s credit card has been charged in four continents for over Rs 2 lakh. In fact, around 20 transactions were carried out on the credit card within 12 hours on December 14, 2012.

Choksi’s wife was very much in town while all these transactions took place in far-off shores. “I have gone through a lot of mental harassment in these two months. There was little support from the card issuing bank and the police. At first, police dodged lodging a case, citing jurisdiction issues. The FIR was lodged only after I approached senior police officers,” says Rikin Choksi.
An FIR has been lodged by cyber police under IPC sections for cheating and forgery and under the IT Act for identity theft and impersonation. After a lot of running around, Choksi managed to get most of the transactions reversed. However, transactions amounting to Rs 59,600 and some charges by the issuing bank are still pending.
And the sad part is: he is yet to figure out how it all happened. “For the balance amount, Visa has initiated further investigation on February 12, 2013, and the status of the same can be confirmed post 30 working days, as per VISA guidelines. The final resolution to this dispute is expected from VISA on March 14, 2013,” says the bank’s spokesperson.
The bank further claims that it has not asked the said customer to make payments for these transactions till the dispute is resolved by VISA.
This is a perfect case of identity theft, say experts. “Identity theft means posing as someone to obtain access to credit or other benefits in that person’s name,” says Rajiv Raj, co-founder and director, Creditvidya, a financial literacy and credit counselling firm.
Many times, fraudsters access vital information about an individual and credit cards by hacking computers, skimming and so on and use the credit card to carry out transactions to make huge purchases. Sometimes they also use documents such as PAN card, address proof, salary slip and obtain credit cards or loans in their name.
Many innocent people get into the defaulter list of banks as there are no repayments of these loans. Worse, many of these innocent victims will come to know about their so-called default only when a bank rejects their loan application, citing bad credit record.
ALWAYS BE ON GUARD
Identity theft takes place when a person accidently or carelessly shares sensitive information about himself or his credit cards on the Net. It can also take place at the banks’ or vendors’ end, when someone steals the database.
“You must use your credit card with utmost care. You have to be more careful with your online transactions,” says V N Kulkarni, chief counsellor, Abhay Credit Counselling Centre.
“Never share your credit card details such as card number, CVV number with anybody, even if the person is a bank employee,” says Satish Mehta, co-founder and director, Credexpert, a credit counselling entity.
To begin with, avoid giving the credit card to others. If possible, insist on swiping your credit card in your presence, as it brings down the possibility of skimming and counterfeiting of the card. Always use a computer with original software and use the virtual keyboard, while keying in your login and password information or other information pertaining to the credit card.
“Keep changing your passwords more often,” says V N Kulkarni, to bring down the possibility of hacking. If you are paying vendors on the phone, do not share your credit card details with call handlers, it is better to insist for an IVR-based payment mechanism, where you key in all the numbers in an automated environment with no human intervention.
You also need to be careful with your personal documents. Many people handover self-attested photocopies of important documents to others for some reason or the other. These copies can be used by fraudsters to get a credit card or obtain a loan in your name. Every time you give such a copy to someone, mention the purpose of that photocopy on it.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CREDIT SCORE
Despite all precautions, there is a possibility of an identity theft at the end of a bank or a vendor. “The only way out is to keep checking your CIBIL credit report every six months, which can tell you about any credit inquiry made in your name, which you have not initiated,” says Rajiv Raj.
You can obtain your credit information report online on the CIBIL website by paying Rs 470 through credit card or net banking and going through online authentication process.
You can also get your credit report offline by following the process mentioned on the CIBIL website. Also, update your mobile numbers and email with your bank. This would enable the bank to alert you about transactions carried out on your name.
Some banks do call up customers before allowing unusual and large transactions on their cards. If you come across an unusual transaction, alert the bank immediately. “Lodge a complaint immediately with the bank and an FIR with the police,” says VN Kulkarni.
Unfortunately, India doesn’t have the track record of speedy investigation or punishment of the guilty in such cases, he adds.
Source: Economic Times

Cheques containing fractions of Re not be rejected: Reserve Bank of India

Cheques containing fractions of Re not be rejected: Reserve Bank of India
 
If your bank has been refusing to accept cheques for amounts that include fraction of a rupee, it’s against the rules and the bank should be penalised.
 
In an internal circular issued earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had warned that banks which refuse to accept cheques on such grounds from customers will be sternly dealt with.
According to an RBI circular issued in March 2007 (RBI.No.2006-2007/299), banks were advised that cheques issued by clients containing fractions of a rupee should not be rejected or dishonoured.
The RBI circular was issued by chief general manager, P Vijaya Bhaskar. It referred to a High Court ruling of February 2007 in which Justice RS Garg had said: “The RBI is hereby directed to issue fresh notifications/notices to all the banks, who have issued internal circulars, not to receive such cheques, etc. and see that stern action is taken against the persons who refuse to receive the cheques/drafts which are in fragments.”
Justice Garg further said in his order: “No Bank can say that it would not receive one rupee note or five rupees notes. A bank is a banker on whom the customer banks upon. A bank cannot say that it would receive only big notes and rest is to be circulated in the market. If a customer goes to the bank and says that he wants to deposit a sum of Rs. 1 Lakh in five-rupee notes, the bank, the clerk, the cashier cannot say that they would not receive it.”
On ‘Interest Rates on Deposits’, banks were advised that all transactions, including payment of interest on deposits/charging of interest on advances, should be rounded off to the nearest rupee; i.e., fractions of 50 paise and above shall be rounded off to the next higher rupee and fraction of less than 50 paise shall be ignored.

Non-CTS-2010 cheques to be cleared till December 31,2013 – Reserve Bank of Inida

Non-CTS-2010 cheques to be cleared till December 31,2013 – Reserve Bank of Inida
 
Non-CTS-2010 cheques (Cheque Truncation System) will continue till December 31, 2013,the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.

While banks have begun to issue fresh cheques in the CTS-2010 format, there is still a large volume of non-CTS-2010 format cheques being presented in image-based clearing.

In March, the timeline for withdrawal of residual non-CTS-2010 standard cheques was extended up to July 31, 2013.

Accordingly, the central bank has decided to put in following arrangements for clearing of residual non-CTS-2010 standard cheques.

Separate clearing session will be introduced in the three CTS centers (Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi) for clearing of such residual non-CTS 2010 instruments (including PDC and EMI cheques) from January 1, 2014. This separate clearing session will initially operate thrice a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) up to April 30, 2014. Thereafter, the frequency of such separate sessions will be reduced to twice a week up to October 31, 2014 (Monday and Friday) and further to weekly once (every Monday) from November 1, 2014 onwards.

Banks may educate and notify their customers of the likely delay in realisation of non-CTS-2010 standard instruments in view of proposed arrangement for clearing of such instruments at less frequent intervals, the RBI said in a notification on Tuesday. 

During the transition period (i.e. up to December 31, 2013), the existing clearing arrangements will continue and all cheque issuing banks are advised to make efforts to withdraw the non-CTS-2010 Standard Cheques in circulation.

It is further advised that the volume of instruments processed in the three CTS Centers in all clearing sessions will be monitored with respect to the non-CTS-2010 instruments presented by banks. RBI may consider levying penalty on drawee banks (and presenting banks where necessary) which violate the instructions issued under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

CBDT instruction on TDS mismatch (Form 26AS) if deductor has deposited Tax amount

CBDT instruction on TDS mismatch (Form 26AS) if deductor has deposited Tax  amount
 
SECTION 139, READ WITH SECTION 199 OF THE INCOME-TAX ACT, 1961 - RETURNOF INCOME - CREDIT OF TDS U/S 199 TO AN ASSESSEE WHEN THE TAX DEDUCTED HAS BEEN DEPOSITED WITH REVENUE BY DEDUCTOR - DIRECTION OF HON'BLE DELHI HC IN THE CASE 'COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION VS. UNION OF INDIA &ORS. IN WP(C) 2659/2012 & WP(C) 5443/2012'
 
INSTRUCTION NO. 5/2013 [F.NO.275/03/2013-IT(B)], DATED 8-7-2013
 
1. The CBDT issues instructions with respect to processing of Income-tax returns and giving credit for TDS thereon in the case of TDS mismatch. A few of the instructions on this subject issued in previous years are Instruction No. 1/2010 (25-2-2010) for returns pertaining to A.Y, 2008-09; Instruction No. 05/2010 (21-7-2010), Instruction No. 07/2010 (16-8-2010) and Instruction No. 09/2010 (9-12-2010) for returns pertaining to AY. 2009-10; Instruction No. 02/2011 (9-2-2011) for returns pertaining to A.Y. 2010-11; and Instruction No. 1/2012 (2-2-2012) and Instruction No. 04/2012 (25-5-2012) for returns pertaining to A.Y. 2011-12. The instructions gave decisions and the manner in which the TDS claims were to be given credit while clearing the backlog of returns pending processing. In the cases that did not fall under the specific TDS amount limit or refund amount computed, the residuary clause in these instructions gave the manner of processing those returns and it stated that "TDS credit shall be given after due verification ".
 
2. The Hon'ble Delhi High Court vide its judgment in the case 'Court On its Own Motion v. UOI and Ors. (W.P. (C) 2659/2012 & W.P. (C) 5443/2012 dated 14-3-2013) has issued seven mandamuses for necessary action by Income-tax Department, one of which is regarding the issue of non-credit of TDS to the taxpayer due to TDS mismatch despite the assessee furnishing before the Assessing Officer, TDS certificate issued by the deductor.
 
3. In view of the order of the Hon'ble Delhi High Court (reference: para 50 of the order); it has been decided by the Board that when an assessee approaches the Assessing Officer with requisite details and particulars in the form of TDS certificate as an evidence against any mismatched amount, the said Assessing Officer will verify whether or not the deductor has made payment of the TDS in the Government Account and if the payment has been made, credit of the same should be given to the assessee. However, the Assessing Officer is at liberty to ascertain and verify the true and correct position about the TDS with the relevant AO (TDS). The AO may also, if deemed necessary, issue a notice to the deductor to compel him to file correction statement as per the procedure laid down.
 
4. Thus, the manner laid down by the Hon'ble HC in the above mandamus may be one of the method of due verification as mentioned in the various instructions referred in para (1) above.
 
5. This may be brought to notice of all Officers working under your jurisdiction for compliance.

Jewellers may ban sale of gold coins, bars for 6 months

Jewellers may ban sale of gold coins, bars for 6 months
 
Jewellers could continue a voluntary ban on sales of gold coins and bars for six months, in support of the government’s efforts to curb imports, a trade body said in a statement on Wednesday.
 
The All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, which has more than 40,000 members, added that over 65 per cent of jewellers had agreed to the ban on sales of bars and coins, which account for about 35 per cent of total business.

“The jewellery community is one in supporting the country in times of crisis. We are happy to help with this voluntary action,” Haresh Soni, chairman of the federation, said in the statement.
The trade body had appealed to jewellers to stop sales of coins and bars in late June.
India’s current account deficit swelled to a record 4.8 per cent of gross domestic product in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, and gold is the second-largest item in the iport bill.
The government has hiked import duty to 8 per cent and the central bank has tightened availability of supplies in an effort to rein in imports, which hit a record 162 tonnes in May.

Is it right to shift your portfolio from equity to debt at this juncture?

Is it right to shift your portfolio from equity to debt at this juncture?     
 
It may take years to build trust but minutes to ruin it and that too very easily. This goes true in case of individual investors in India. In early days of development of Indian equity markets, retail investors were apprehensive about investing in equities for a number of reasons. Apart from their inclination to invest in physical assets such as gold and real estate, scams and malpractices are among others factors which kept many retail investors away from equity markets. However things changed in post ‘dotcom bubble’ era. Tighter regulations, use of much more transparent trading platform and sustained bull market of 2002-07 helped change the mindset of retail investors. 

Changing times...

Having reaped rich returns initially, individual investors started putting money regularly in equities, directly as well as through mutual fund route. But, the rude shock of 2008 knocked them off. It was the year in which equity markets not only in India but also elsewhere reached their rock bottom. Investors lost money again. Such repetitive failure in equities made investors believe that equities are risky, less lucrative and best avoided. Many of retail investors had entered the equity market when the last leg of multi-year bull rally was playing out. Even
 mutual fund houses too had launched a number of equity funds just few months before markets cracked in 2008. Ironically, record inflows to equity oriented funds were witnessed when markets were overpriced and were set for a deep correction. Today, 5 years later, markets are hovering at around levels seen in 2007. So effectively, those who entered the market in 2007-08 have virtually made no returns. At the time of investment, they were perhaps assured by their agents and distributors that over long term (say 3 to 5 years) they would get extremely attractive returns from their investments in equities. In spite of keeping patience for 5 years, they have not made returns. This has put investors off. 

And, as a result, delivery based transactions recently hit a 9 year low. The average monthly delivery based transactions has more than halved and has sank to 75 lac in May 2013 against 1.64 crore recorded in 2007-08.
 

A transaction, wherein you take delivery of shares in your demat account by paying the full price for your purchase, is known as delivery based transaction. These transactions are often referred as cash market transactions. On the other hand, Futures and Options (F&O) segment allows investors to trade in a stock by paying only a fraction of total transaction value. Usually, the cash segment is preferred by long term investors such as mutual funds and other Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs). Retail and High Net worth Individuals (HNIs) also access cash segment. Falling volume of delivery based transactions implies that participation of retail and HNI investors (through direct or mutual funds) route has fallen.
 

Changing Trends...

While equities have disappointed investors over the past few years, their investment in fixed deposits and debt oriented mutual funds fetched stable returns. In fact, average returns from
 debt mutual funds are higher than those generated by S&P BSE Sensex over last 3 to 5 years. As a result, while equity markets saw lower retail and HNI participation, debt funds have witnessed heavy inflows over last 3-4 years. As per AMFI data, proportion of assets belonging to HNIs and retail investors in total Assets under Management (AUM) in debt mutual funds has nearly doubled since 2009. Investors still remain enthused to invest in debt mutual funds on expectation of cuts in policy rates by RBI. There is an inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices. Debt funds tend to gain when bond prices advance. 

We of   the view that, investing in any asset class only based on how much returns it has generated in the recent past is a futile activity. Those who are planning to invest in debt oriented funds at this juncture with an aim to play the interest rate cycle and generate equity beating returns may get disappointed. Don’t forget, like equity, even debt funds carry risk. As remains the question of timing the interest rate cycle, it is never an easy task. On the other hand, avoiding equity altogether is an equally bad idea. Investors shouldn’t expect markets to always trend upwards. Those who are shunning equities based on 3 and 5 year returns should go a little farther in the past. From 1992 to 2002 markets remained flat and generated no meaningful returns but markets rose nearly 7 times in next 5 years. The point here is not that history may repeat, but the point here is that patience pays.  We believes that your investment discipline and asset allocation decides your success in investing. A well-crafted financial plan helps you identify monetary value of your goals and lays a roadmap to get there. Your investment decision towards each asset class should be based on your need, suitability, risk taking ability and its potential to deliver over a period of time, rather than changing your preference based on their recent performance.source: personalfn

Monday, July 15, 2013

how to select the correct ITR for A.Y. 2013-14

Filing of Tax Returns - how to select the correct ITR for  A.Y. 2013-14
 
In the below article we will discuss the Applicability of ITR 1 ,2,3, 4, 4S, 5, 6 and 7 for Assessment year 2013-14 i.e. FY 2012-13. In other words which ITR is applicable to whom for A.Y. 2013-14.
 
APPLICABILITY OF ITR-1 FORASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 /FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
1.   Who can use this Return Form
This Return Form is to be used by an individual whose total income for the assessment year 2013-14 includes:‑
(a)    Income from Salary/ Pension; or
(b)     Income from One House Property (excluding cases where loss is brought forward from previous years); or
(c) Income from Other Sources (excluding Winning from Lottery and Income from Race Horses)
NOTE Further, in a case where the income of another person like spouse, minor child, etc. is to be clubbed with the income of the assessee, this Return Form can be used only if the income being clubbed falls into the above income categories.
2. Who cannot use this Return Form
This Return Form should not be used by an individual whose total income for the assessment year 2013-14 includes:‑
(a) Income from more than one house property; or
(b) Income from Winnings from lottery or income from Race horses; or
(c) Income under the head “Capital Gains” E.g., short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains from sale of house, plot, shares etc.; or
(d) Income from agriculture/exempt income in excess of Rs. 5,000; or
(e) Income from Business or Profession; or
(f) Loss under the head ‘Income from other sources’; or
(g) Person claiming relief of foreign tax paid under section 90, 90A or 91; or
(h) Any resident having any asset (including financial interest in any entity) located outside India or signing authority in any account located outside India.
 
APPLICABILITY OF ITR-2 FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 / FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
1.     Who can use this Return Form?
This Return Form is to be used by an individual or a Hindu Undivided Family whose total income for the assessment year 201 3-14 includes:-
(a)     Income from Salary / Pension; or
(b)     Income from House Property; or
(c)      Income from Capital Gains; or
(d)     Income from Other Sources (including Winning from Lottery and Income from Race Horses). Further, in a case where the income of another person like spouse, minor child, etc. is to be clubbed with the income of the assessee, this Return Form can be used where such income falls in any of the above categories.
 
2.     Who cannot use this Return Form?
This Return Form should not be used by an individual whose total income for the assessment year 2013-14 includes Income from Business or Profession.
 
APPLICABILITY OF ITR-3 FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 / FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
1.     Who can use this Return Form?
This Return Form is to be used by an individual or an Hindu Undivided Family who is a partner in a firm and where income chargeable to income-tax under the head “Profits or gains of business or profession” does not include any income except the income by way of any interest, salary, bonus, commission or remuneration, by whatever name called, due to, or received by him from such firm. In case a partner in the firm does not have any income from the firm by way of interest, salary, etc. and has only exempt income by way of share in the profit of the firm, he shall use this form only and not Form ITR-2.
 
2.     Who cannot use this Return Form?
This Return Form should not be used by an individual whose total income for the assessment year 2013-14 includes Income from Business or Profession under any proprietorship.
APPLICABILITY OF ITR- 4 FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 /FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
Who can use this Return Form?
This Return Form is to be used by an individual or a Hindu Undivided Family who is carrying out a proprietary business or profession.
 
APPLICABILITY OF SUGAM (ITR-4S) FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 /FINANCIAL YEAR2012-13
 
1.   Who can use this Return Form
This Return Form is to be used by an individual / HUF whose total income for the assessment year 2013-14 includes:‑
(a)    Business income where such income is computed in accordance with special provisions referred to in section 44AD and 44AE of the Act for computation of business income; or
(b)      Income from Salary/ Pension; or
(c)    Income from One House Property (excluding cases where loss is brought forward from previous years); or
(d)    Income from Other Sources (Excluding winning from Lottery and Income from Race Horses).
Note: The income computed shall be presumed to have been computed after giving full effect to every loss, allowance, depreciation or deduction under the Income-tax Act.
Note: Further, in a case where the income of another person like spouse, minor child, etc. is to be clubbed with the income of the assessee, this Return Form can be used only if the income being clubbed falls into the above income categories.
 
2. Who cannot use this Return Form
SUGAM cannot be used to file the following incomes
(a)    Income from more than one house property; or
(b)    Income from winnings from lottery or income from Race horses; or
(c) Income under the head “Capital Gains”, e.g. Short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains from sale of house, plot, shares etc; or
(d)    Income from agriculture/exempt income in excess of Rs. 5,000; or
(e) Income from Speculative Business and other special incomes; or
(f)   Income from a profession as referred to in sub-section (1) of section 44AA or income from anagency business or income in the nature of commission for brokerage; or
(g)    Person claiming relief of foreign tax paid under section 90,90A or 91; or
(h)    Any resident having any asset (including financial interest in any entity) located outside India or signing authority in any account located outside India.
 
3. SUGAM form is not mandatory
SUGAM Business Form shall not apply at the option of the assessee, if -
(1) the assessee keeps and maintains all the books of account and other documents referred to in section 44AA in respect of the business.
(ii) the assessee gets his accounts audited and obtains a report of such audit as required under section 44AB in respect of the business.
In the above scenarios, Regular ITR-4 should be filed and not SUGAM.
 
APPLICABILITY OF ITR- 5 FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 /FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
Who can use this Return Form?
This Form can be used a person being a firm, LLPs, AOP, BOI, artificial juridical person referred to in section 2(31 )(vii), cooperative society and local authority. However, a person who is required to file the return of income under section 139(4A) or 139(4B) or 139(4C) or 139(4D) shall not use this form.
 
APPLICABILITY OF ITR- 6 FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 /FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
Who can use this Return Form?
This Form can be used by a company, other than a company claiming exemption under section 11.
 
APPLICABILITY OF ITR- 7 FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2013-14 /FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13
Who can use this Return Form?
This Form can be used by persons including companies who are required to furnish return under section 139(4A) or section 139(4B) or section 139(4C) or section 139(4D).

Note:  For more details and clarifications please contact your tax consultant.  Errors and Omissions are expected

Sunday, July 14, 2013

The double-decker BEST bus, a Mumbai city icon

The double-decker bus, a city icon, turns 75 this month, but may not be around much longer

From page 01 What’s tall and broad and red all over? For Fiona Fernandes, that would be Mumbai’s iconic doubledecker buses. They once dominated the city’s roads; now, they are slowly disappearing.
HT PHOTO: SHAKTI YADAV Riding a double-decker is more fun for the driver and the passengers, says conductor Sachin Khavre, seen here with driver Mohan Kale. (Right) A miniature double-decker from the collection of BEST mechanical engineer and model bus enthusiast Yatin Pimpale. “I grew up travelling in these buses. As a child, my earliest memories of public transport are of clambering up the spiral stairs, making a dash for the seats right in front and wondering why the upper deck didn’t have its own driver,” says Fernandes, 51, laughing.
Since older citizens found it difficult to climb the stairs of the moving vehicle, the upper deck was typically filled with children, students and young couples enjoying the cool breeze and ‘aerial’ view, says Fernandes, a school teacher.
The bus she took to her workplace in Dadar every day — No 66 — used to be a double-decker until about 10 years ago. “Single-deckers have never looked half as elegant to me.”
This July, the iconic BEST double-decker completes 75 years of plying the streets of Mumbai, but fans like Fernandes are struggling to remember the last time they travelled in one.
These buses were launched in July 1937, eleven years after single-decker buses became an important mode of public transport in colonial Bombay.
Although the public had been familiar with double-decker electric trams since 1920, the bright red buses, designed to look like their counterparts in London, were an instant hit.
“Double-deckers were introduced to cope with the growing number of commuters in the city, and, since they could accommodate 1.5 times the people, they were also cost- effective,” says Manoj Varade, deputy public relations officer with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking.
“The first double-deckers, made by the British automobile company Daimler, had mechanical gears and weak brakes, so driving them was a very delicate task,” says Yatin Pimpale, 45, a mechanical engineer with BEST and a part-time graphic designer whose hobby is making miniature paper models of buses and trains.
Pimpale’s collection of miniature buses reflects the historical journey of double-deckers in the city, from the special buses designed during World War II — single-deckers modified to create an open-air top deck for additional seating, since more people were turning to public transport as fuel prices rose — to the trailer buses of the 1970s and the sky-blue, open-roof top tourist buses introduced in 2004.
“I find riding double-deckers more fun because you get to watch children enthralled by the views from above, and tourists often climb aboard just for a joyride,” says Sachin Khavre, 29, a bus conductor who has been working on double-deckers for five years.
After a 75-year run, however, the double- decker story may now be approaching its end. Over the past two decades, the BEST has been gradually phasing out double- deckers, replacing retired buses with singledeckers or mini-buses.
“Double-deckers have become very expensive to maintain, and with streets getting more crowded, their mobility is restricted and they are becoming more difficult to manoeuvre,” says deputy PRO Varade. “Eventually, it will not be feasible to continue plying them.”
The BEST now has 122 double-deckers running on just eight routes across the city, down from 158 in 2007 and 873 in 1981. Most of these buses ply in the island city, where roads are relatively wider.
Mohan Kale, a BEST driver who has been plying the ‘1 Special’ doubledecker from Nariman Point to CST for six years, admits that driving the massive buses is far more exhausting than driving single-deckers.
“Balancing such a heavy vehicle is very demanding, and when it gets crowded, it gets riskier,” says Kale, 39.
Ask if he will miss the double-deckers if they are phased out completely, and he grins. “These buses are the pride of Mumbai. Being at the steering wheel and watching passers-
by invariably turn to look has always been a great feeling.” Transport experts such as Jagdeep Desai, however, believe it is time to say goodbye to the double-decker. “In a city like London, where crowds are thin and roads are pothole-free, such buses make sense,” says Desai. “In Mumbai, they are cumbersome, dangerous and must be restricted to tourist use along specific routes.”
Fernandes, meanwhile, is planning to team up with old college friends to go on a joyride in a double-decker before it disappears. “My daughter has never understood my enthusiasm for these buses,” she says. “But I’d like to enjoy my last few rides on an upper deck before they are gone forever.”

Shalmali Kholgade, Singer: Learn To Deal With Success As Well As You Dealt With Failure


Shalmali  Kholgade
Shalmali Kholgade, Singer: Learn To Deal With Success As Well As You Dealt With Failure
People say that I’ve had an easy break in Bollywood. And that is true in some ways. I used to record demos which my friend Anjo John handed over to Amit Trivedi. And there I was, singing Pareshaan for one of the greatest musicians in Bollywood. But what people don’t know is that I have faced rejection on more than one occasion from every music director I’ve worked with. I just choose to not speak about it.

Rejection can make anyone feel sorry for themselves and most times my first reaction has been that of anger. But I have devised a unique way of dealing with it. I just attribute it to several things, not just me. If a song does not go through in my voice, I say “maybe I didn’t sing well enough”, “maybe my voice was too young for the actor”, so on and so forth. I don’t only blame myself for it. Call it naivety or just positive outlook, I keep myself happy like that.

Today I am famous. It’s a great feeling but it’s also very scary. In the beginning of my career, I used to get intimidated by people staring at me. Slowly, I started adjusting to the attention. I am extremely aware of what is expected of me now. For every off day I have, I feel like it’s a day wasted, that I will let so many people down, let myself down too. The pressure is immense. Popularity puts you in a tough spot that requires you to keep achieving all the time. So you start expecting more from yourself.

And yes, sometimes I get taken for a ride. I am only one year old in Bollywood. But I’m becoming smarter when it comes to people and the promises they make. I’ve realised that most compliments are not genuine and I have to keep reminding myself to not get carried away. That is my struggle.

Scorecard

1 Remember the person you were before you got popular. That is the real you. And that is who you should be.
2 There are many people who will be sweet to your face but may have malicious intent. Beware of them.
3 If you feel overwhelmed by the situation, seek help from friends and family.

Sujoy Ghosh, Director: Failure Can Follow Success, Stay Sane


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Sujoy Ghosh, Director: Failure Can Follow Success, Stay Sane
I  wish I hadn’t started my career with a hit. I was an outsider who dared to make an offbeat film like Jhankaar Beats and it worked. Suddenly, everyone praised me and wanted to know what I was doing next. That was 2003. What happened after that was the worst phase of my life. Two years later, Home Delivery: Aapko…Ghar Tak hit the theatres and it tanked. “Everyone gives a dud once in their career,” I rationalised.

So I decided to take time with the next project, Aladin. It took four years. And that tanked too. That was devastating. Now, no one believed in me. Even I started questioning my abilities as a director. Dejection was too real in Mumbai where people called me a one-hit wonder. I had a family to feed, so I had to take a call whether I wanted to continue or not. That is when I decided to go back to Calcutta.

At that point, Kahaani was still a concept in my head. Everyone I discussed it with said that it was everything a Bollywood film shouldn’t be. But I was in love with it. So I needed to walk away from the detractors and just write.



The scariest thing at that time was the fear of rejection, again. But I couldn’t give up. I didn’t have the luxury of another job. The exact thought in my head at that time was “If I sit and wallow, who will take care of my family?” So I kept moving ahead with Kahaani. 

Slowly I knew I was on to something good. But people urged me to make something more commercial. I thought that was a bunch of baloney. I eventually released Kahaani last year after struggling for seven years. I fought to keep my family afloat, fought the critics, faced rejection after rejection but eventually came out triumphant. Kahaani was a success and so I am successful today. But I am as good as my last Friday. The story continues… But I will never give up.

Scorecard
1 Everything in life is a great learning experience – good or bad.  Nothing comes easy. If you want something, work for it.
2 Your family should be your priority. Don’t get so blinded by your dream that you ignore the ones who love you and care for you the most.
3 Let your work speak for you. And if you mess up, be prepared for criticism.
4 If you keep your expectations real, it is much easier to deal with rejection.

Zeishan Quadri, Script-writer: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Find Another Way Up


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Zeishan Quadri, Script-writer: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Find Another Way Up
Look, I’ll be honest – I never came to Mumbai to be a scriptwriter. I came here to be an actor. Actually a star! So on March 17, 2009, like every other kid from a small village, I boarded a train to Mumbai hoping to be the next Salman Khan. I was fully confident I’d make it, friends back home in Wasseypur told me I had eyes that would win directors over. So I reached Mumbai and expected to see a friend or two waiting at the station. No one came. I stood there alone with all my belongings for an hour in a daze. I had nowhere to go.

That was my first day in Mumbai, alone, apprehensive and angry. But that was the last time I felt lost. I told myself that I’d never call my struggle a struggle – just another chapter in the journey called life. And the day I felt I’d spent enough time chasing my dream, I’ll pack my bags and leave.

My acting dream never took off. I was not ‘hero’ material. So I had a lot of free time and no money to go out. I’d stay home with world cinema on TV. While watching Edge of Heaven, it occurred to me to write about Wasseypur because it used to fascinate my friends in Mumbai. I also realised another thing – if someone made my movie, I could act in it! That was my ticket to stardom. So I wrote part two of Gangs... first and started chasing Anurag [Kashyap]. Stalking really! I visited his office everyday and was sent back saying that Anurag didn’t work there. Then I followed him to Prithvi theatre one evening in 2009. I had stared at him all evening and forced him to walk up to me. Once I had his attention, I knew that he would love the concept. And he did. Later I told him that I wanted to play the role of Definite. He agreed.

I could’ve struggled for years but I chose to be smarter. Today I am acting in movies [Revolver Rani and Ali] I haven’t even written. And it is only a matter of time before I will become a successful actor too. In this industry, it only takes one big director to vouch for you. Then the industry falls at your feet. And I know that will happen.
Scorecard1 If one thing does not work out one way, find another way to achieve it.
2 Never pity yourself. It will only pull you down and lower your self-confidence.
3 Set a realistic time limit to achieve your dreams. But  keep an eye on reality. If your dreams are too ambitious, ditch them.
4 Believe in God because only he writes your destiny. Your work is to work hard to achieve that destiny.
5 Don’t spend too much time struggling. Gambling blind is cool but only for a while.

Kausar Munir, Lyricist: Be Yourself, Even In A Man’s World


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Kausar Munir, Lyricist: Be Yourself, Even In A Man’s World
Everyone asks me if it is hard being the only female lyricist in Bollywood. Of course it is hard. But it is only as hard as it would be for a man to walk in heels. It’s not impossible, it’s just a mindset that needs to be broken. Women tend to steer clear of Bollywood. That’s why we have just one music composer, Sneha Khanwalkar, as opposed to at least 20 dudes with a sound mixer. And then there is me, a female lyricist with no formal training in Urdu.

My struggle, if I can call my experiences a struggle, started after I started penning words for songs. I had never planned on being a bard. I used to write for shows like Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin. One evening the scriptwriter of Jassi…, Victor [Vijay Krishna Acharaya] asked me to write a song for his film, Tashan. And I wrote Falak tak chal, which was a hit. After that, Habib Faisal asked me to pen a song for Ishaqzaade. I wrote the songs and everyone loved them. Words like Pareshaan and Ishaqzaade caught on and people wanted to know who the bespectacled girl was. That is when my struggle actually began.



Until then, I was quietly writing songs in a corner and was no threat to anyone in the industry. But after songs like Saiyaara and Mashallah from Ek Tha Tiger, I came to be seen as the female lyricist who disrupted the male bastion. The songs became a dead albatross around my neck – filmmakers wanted me to come up with a new cool Urdu word for every song. It put me under tremendous pressure. Plus, the expectations of being a woman lyricist were mounting. Suddenly I had become a postergirl for gender equality! I don’t know who put that responsibility on my shoulder but I think it’s the women themselves.

Now I’ve realised that to survive in a man’s world, you have to be a woman. Women are better listeners and understand briefs better. Being myself worked in my favour. And it will work in yours too.

Scorecard
1 Be a strong woman and know that gender has nothing to do with competence. You have to believe that you are as good as anyone else on the job.
2 Even if someone plays gender politics, ignore them. The right people will notice you at the right time. 
3 Never hold grudges against people who doubted you. Grudges will only pull you down.
4 Remember that you will start small, but keep at it. Don't give up.

Ram Sampath, Composer: Stand Up For Yourself, Even If You Are Standing Up To A Bully


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Ram Sampath, Composer: Stand Up For Yourself, Even If You Are Standing Up To A Bully
The night I decided to challenge the Roshans, I knew that life was going to be tough. After all, I was just another music composer. But I decided to take the Roshans to court for stealing my intellectual property – an ad jingle I had done for Sony Ericsson, which they used in their movie, Krazzy 4. Was I nervous? Hell yeah, who wouldn’t be?

News spread. Suddenly I was the bad guy trying to make money off the big guys. They had industry backing, I just had my conviction and Sona [Mohapatra, his wife] by my side. She held my hand through that phase and gave me the support that I needed to tell the world that even a small fry like me can take on the mighty guys.

 

The time I challenged them in court was also the time I was trying to break into Bollywood. Ninety per cent of the people told me that I was insane. That no one would want to work with me. And that happened. I was out of work – from my primary income, advertising and Bollywood. Yes, I was jobless; yes, I was broke; yes, I was angry; but no, I was not going to give up. Things happen for a reason. So I decided to treat my joblessness like a mini vacation.

I won my case, but rejection had become a part of life. People didn’t want to jinx their films by working with me. I scored and composed music for four films but all of them got shelved. I hit rock bottom. Then out of the blue, Delhi Belly happened. Abhinay [Deo] insisted that I compose music for his film. Delhi Belly was supposed to be a one-song film but once I read the script and knew that it had scope for more. I took a year to write music for it and when Aamir heard it, he loved it! That was the turning point for me.

Even today, I am not the most loved person in Bollywood. But I trust my work and my instincts. And you should too. Everyone will not love you, but you will be surrounded by people who care for you.

Scorecard
1 You have to learn to stand up for yourself because if you don’t, no one else will.
2 Have faith in the system and believe in yourself. Justice might take some time, but don’t lose patience.
3 Build a support system. Because there will be days when your resolve will break, that is when their resolve will hold you in good stead.
4 Find humour in everything. It makes life simple.
5 Don’t get angry. Get even!

Mohit Chauhan, Singer: Think Big. Don’t Settle For Second-Best


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Mohit Chauhan, Singer: Think Big. Don’t Settle For Second-Best
A  lmost 10 years ago, in the dead of the night, my landline rang. I answered, dazed. The man on the other end told me that I needed to fly to Chennai at 10am that morning. I asked him why. He said, “Didn’t you hear me? I am calling from A R Rahman’s music studio.” I could not believe what had happened. It didn’t sink in for the longest time that Rahman sir wanted to see me. I’d waited some five years for that  call.

I met A R Rahman for the first time when my band, Silk Route, shot to fame in 1998. He very casually walked up to me at an award ceremony and said that he might want to work with me in the future. And so, my wait began.

Every day, I hoped to hear from the man but no call came. I started touring with my band but I never forgot that short conversation. After our second album, Pehchaan released, I started getting impatient because I was getting playback offers from other composers. I rejected most of them. People told me I was being foolish by waiting for a call that might not come, ever; that I should take whatever comes my way because getting a break in Bollywood is not easy. But I was adamant.

And so the impatience grew. Silk Route disbanded. I needed work. But I made one wise decision, I did not shift from Delhi to Mumbai because being jobless in the city unnerved me.

And then, it happened. I got that call. I went to Chennai. I sang a song for him. Rang De Basanti released and Khoon Chala was a hit. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know who I was. And now, looking back, wasn’t that the right decision? Sir gave me Rockstar next, and my career just took off. Now people recognise my voice even on the radio. It’s quite unbelievable for a small-town man like me.
 
Yes, it took me over a decade to get to where I have, but I didn’t compromise on it. I have been selective of my work and look where it got me! Every night I thank my gut that always told me that you will get the call.

Scorecard
1 People will always tell you to take the easy way out. Never take it. Work hard and be patient.
2 Complacency is your enemy and never get too comfortable. Be on your toes.
3 Times change and your time will also come. But don’t sit doing nothing and leave it to destiny. Work towards achieving your destiny.
4 Don’t get disheartened by criticism.
5 You will make mistakes. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Richa Chaddha, Actor: Don’t Try To Please Everyone


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Richa Chaddha, Actor: Don’t Try To Please Everyone
I  was always certain of one thing – I wanted to act. And I did everything that I needed to do to be good at my craft: theatre, workshops, modelling, knocking on every door and waiting for it to open.

And I also heard it all – sweet talk, criticism and unwanted advice. People told me to get a boob job, get rhinoplasty, lose weight and be more “presentable”. I was told to fit the “Bollywood” template by almost everyone. And for a while, I did try and mould myself to everybody’s expectations. But nothing came of it. I faced rejection left, right and centre for months and years.

I don’t belong to Mumbai. I don’t come from a family that has any inclination towards glamour or Bollywood. My mum’s a professor at Delhi University and my dad is a management consultant. Nothing in my background could really prepare me for the kind of rejection and emotional turmoil that I was going through. So all I could do was to hope. And hope is what I stuck to. I continued doing theatre with Barry John, who thankfully had moved to Mumbai and it was while performing in one of his plays that a flicker of hope called Dibakar Banerjee came in.

Dibakar was a small-time director scouting around for a fresh face for a small role in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. He was just one film old but was talked-about. I was signed on. The movie became a hit. I was noticed but that didn’t mean anything. Small, inconsequential roles were all I was offered, if at all. I auditioned for Dev.D. Anurag Kashyap loved it but signed Kalki Koechlin instead! A filmmaker friend signed me for his new film, told me to block my dates and gave me the script to prepare. I was raring to go when, just two days before the shoot was to begin, he told me I was being replaced because I wasn’t “glamourous enough”.

I wallowed for days, cried, cribbed but couldn’t give up! The rejections made me realise one thing: that whatever I did, I wouldn’t be able to make everybody happy. I would just lose myself trying to be someone else. So I focused on what was my best asset. My talent as an actress. I did plays, workshops, travelled to Chennai and Pondicherry and joined Theatre Professionals to hone my skill. Then, two years after Oye Lucky…, Anurag called me to do Gangs Of Wasseypur. And yes, it has changed my life. But after a smash hit, awards and all the glory, the struggle continues.

I still face rejection. In fact, it happened early this year. But now I too can reject offers. I am not going to compromise or change just to please somebody or everybody. That is my vindication.
– As told to Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi
Scorecard
1 Be happy in your skin. Don’t try to be someone else or you’ll lose yourself.
2 Know your goals and never lose your focus.
3 You may be criticised and rejected. Cry and crib but don’t lose hope.
4 Keep working towards your goal. Do everything that you have to hone your skills.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Actor: There Will Be Trouble Ahead. Stay Strong, Stay Focused


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Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Actor: There Will Be Trouble Ahead. Stay Strong, Stay Focused
The first day I cried in Mumbai was when I didn’t have a single paisa in my pocket and took R50 from a friend. It was not the first time I was penniless and it was definitely not the first time I was borrowing money. But that night, as I pocketed that crumpled note, I began to cry. Five years in Mumbai and I was still homeless, penniless and completely out of work. There was not a friend left in the city I had not borrowed from.

I belong to a family of farmers from Budhana, UP. Ninety people  would live in one house and I have seen the darkest days of poverty. So not eating for a day or two or three was never a problem. That was never my struggle. In Delhi, while practicing theatre, I worked as a watchman. Life was tough then but I was always driven to follow my dream – acting.

I moved to Mumbai with R3,000, a packet of biscuits and the assumption that I had friends there to bank on. I reached one friend’s house and tried to give him a hug. He shrugged me off and said, “Rent ka paisa?” That day I realised that in this industry, your friends are also not your friends. I remember begging another friend to let me stay at his room. He said yes and asked me to be his cook. I didn’t mind the job till the day I realised that I wasn’t struggling to be an actor. I was struggling just to stay alive. I moved out of his house with rock-solid determination that day. I was going to make it, I told myself. But unlike in a movie where the hero’s life changes in minutes, mine didn’t. That night, I just went to another friend’s house for shelter.

In some way, you can call my life a comedy of errors. When I got my first break in Sarfarosh (1999), I was asked to be on-set at 7am at Filmistan. I woke up at 4.30am and walked from Four Bungalows to Film City [easily 15 kilometres] in my chappals. I reached by 6.30am, only to realise I was at the wrong set. I ran again from Film City to Filmistan because I had no money to even take the bus. I didn’t get another movie for years. 

Yes, life is terrifyingly difficult sometimes. There were many times when I wanted to leave. But where could I go? I had to make it. The only other choice was to die in oblivion and that I wasn’t going to do. I did so many odd roles – dacoit informer in Jungle, a waiter in Shool, a pickpocket in Munna Bhai MBBS and a local goon in Ek Chalis Ki Last Local. I took roles just to survive another month. But I never gave up. I just wanted to succeed.

My 12 years of struggle ended with Kahaani. Suddenly I was famous. People would recognise me; my name now had some weight. The last scene in Gangs of Wasseypur, where I shoot Tigmanshu’s [Dhulia] character was the culmination of my struggle. When I was enacting that scene, what I saw in front of me were the 12 years – the hunger, rejection, disgrace and tears – and I fired countless rounds. That smirk on Faisal Khan’s face was in fact Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s arrival.
Scorecard
1 Don’t leave anything to destiny – find a way to chart out your own destiny. Rewrite it if you have to.
2 Everyone struggles. So don’t take it personally. Just work hard and hope that you meet the right people at the right time.
3 Rejection is a part of life. Don’t let it bog you down.  Find a way to deal with it.
4 Drop your ego. It will only give you more pain.
5 Once you succeed, remember how hard you worked to get there. That will motivate you and also keep you grounded.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Smart Phone - Karbonn Titanium S9

Karbonn Titanium S9
    The Titanium S9 is a device that’s packed with just that little-bit extra to make it stand out from the other handsets in its price range. It comes with a 5.5-inch, 16-million-colour display, a whopper 13MP main camera, a 5MP front shooter, and is equipped with 16GB internal memory.  




Specs: 5.5-inch HD IPS (1280x720px) screen | 1.2GHz quad-core processor | 1 GB RAM | 16GB internal memory, microSD expandable up to 32 GB | Dual SIM (3G+2G) | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | 13 MP autofocus rear camera with flash, 5MP front camera | 2600mAh battery | Android Jelly Bean (4.2)  

Website: www.karbonnmobiles.com 

Price: 19,990

SmartPhone - Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom  

Is it a phone or is it a camera? The Galaxy S4 Zoom is equipped with a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, complete with a 10x optical zoom and a built-in Optical Image Stabilizer. In effect, what you get is a smartphone that will put most point-and-shoot cameras to shame. The handset sports what Samsung calls the Zoom Ring that activates its In-Call Photo Share feature, letting users capture and send an image directly via MMS to whoever he/she is talking to. This apparatus can also be used to activate the Quick Launch and Shortcut features, giving users instant access to multiple camera modes including Auto, Gallery and Smart Mode with a simple twist. And yes, you also have a Mali-400 GPU purring under the hood.  


Specs: 4.3-inch Super AMOLED (960x540px) screen | 1.5GHz dual-core processor | 1.5GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD expandable up to 32 GB | micro-SIM | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB on-the-go | 16MP autofocus rear camera with Xenon flash, 1.9MP front camera | 2330mAh battery | Android Jelly Bean (4.2.2)  

Website: www.samsung.com  

Price: Rs. 29,900

New Printer - Brother HL-1111

Brother HL-1111
    
Those looking for a printer for home use might want to consider the HL-1111 that’s capable of printing 20 pages per minute. It comes with a Toner Saver mode, along with features that allow users to print the time and date – as well as watermarks – on documents. Users can also use its ‘Poster Printing’ mode that combines 4, 9, 16 or 25 A4-size pages to create a composite whole image.  




Specs: Monochrome Laser | 600dpi | 20 pages per minute | 1,500 pages per toner | Windows, Mac compatible | Takes up to 150 pages of A4-, Letter-, Legal- or Folio-sized paper as input.  

Website: www.brother.in  

Price: Rs.5,000

A waterproof, rugged, all-season, point-and-shoot camera that can be used on holidays and on treks

Are there any rugged, all-season, point-and-shoot cameras available in India?

I’m looking for a waterproof camera that can be used on holidays and on treks. 


 
    Depending on your budget, you can choose from any of the following products… 


l Nikon Coolpix S31 ( 5,800): 5m waterproof, 1.2m shockproof | 10-megapixel CCD sensor | 35mm, 3x optical zoom lens | ISO 80-1600 | Modes: close up, continuous shooting, diorama effect, fireworks show, food, interval shooting, mirror, underwater, soft | HD (1280x720px, 30fps) video recording | Electronic Vibration Reduction | 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen with anti-reflection coating | Lithium-ion battery, 260 shots CIPA standard. l Panasonic 

LUMIX DMC-FT20 ( 12,990): Freezeproof, dustproof, 5m waterproof, 1.5m shockproof | 16-megapixel CCD sensor | 25mm wide-angle, 4x optical zoom lens | ISO 100-1600 | Modes: portrait, soft skin, scenery, panorama, night portrait, night scenery, food, baby portrait, pet portrait, sunset, high sensitivity | HD (1280x720px, 30fps) video recording | Optical image stabilizer | 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen with anti-reflection coating | Lithium-ion battery, 250 shots CIPA standard.

Nikon Coolpix AW110 ( 15,500): Dustproof, 18m waterproof, 2m shockproof | 16-megapixel CMOS sensor | 35mm, 5x optical zoom lens | ISO 125-1600 | Modes: back light, beach, black and white copy, close up, dusk/dawn, panorama, fireworks, food, landscape, museum, night landscape, night portrait, party/indoor, pet portrait, scene auto selector, snow, sunset, 3D photography, underwater | FullHD (1920x1080px, 30fps) video recording | Vibration and motion blur reduction | 3-inch OLED screen with anti-reflection coating | Lithium-ion battery, 250 shots CIPA standard.