Govt Firm on Mandatory Rural Service For Medical Students

BENGALURU: The state government on Monday strongly defended the new rule mandating one-year rural service for medical students.

When Justice Ravi Malimath took up the petition by two doctors challenging the stipulated rural service,

Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar contended that the new rule is not retrospective as claimed by the petitioners. The degrees obtained by the petitioners have not been revoked; only the registration has been postponed under the new rule, he said.

Citing US president Barack Obama’s initiative on healthcare for all as an example, Ravivarma Kumar argued that the new rule had been brought in to address the inequities between urban and rural areas.

Ravivarma Kumar said the state government was spending Rs 25 lakh per student. “They may be paying Rs 1.75 lakh as fees to a private medical college, but it is the state government that spends Rs 25 lakh per student, by way of infrastructure and clinical facilities,” he added. The argument will continue on Tuesday.

PIL on I-T Returns Disposed of

The High Court on Monday disposed a public interest litigation filed by Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association seeking an extension of last date for IT returns for assesses under Section 44AB. The court also directed the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to consider their representation by November 29.

Hearing the petition, the division bench of acting Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna gave this direction. Additional solicitor general Prabhuling K Navadgi informed the division bench that any extension of the last date would have an adverse effect on the system as there are six crore tax payers in the country.

Navadgi argued that the new forms only contained an additional column with regard to assets held outside India. He added that there is no need for a delay as the assesses only have to fill the details in the forms.

The association sought an extension from the present deadline of September 30 for those assesses who are liable for audit under the IT Act (Companies, Firms and Individuals in Propriety business/ profession), as the time left for compliance under Section 44AB has been reduced to 55 days owing to delay in notifying forms.

FIR on Antique Quran Sale Stayed

The High Court on Monday stayed an FIR and further proceedings against an official in connection with the alleged sale of an antique Quran. The petition was filed by Kalappa Kambali, an assistant in the Department of Food and Civil Supplies in Kalaburagi.

Kalappa’s counsel argued that police have no jurisdiction to investigate the case that comes under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972. Kalappa and others were booked for allegedly possessing an antique Quran and trying to sell it illegally.

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