NEW DELHI: Plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Sunday said that generally changes to the laws should not be implemented retrospectively even as he termed the proposed amendment to the I-T Act to tax Vodafone-like deals as “appropriate”.

“I think, objectively, the change is not only appropriate one….it is something we have singled in the Direct Taxes Code (DTC). Going by general rules. But I agree with you that one should avoid retrospective amendments,” Ahluwalia told a television channel when asked why should this amendment be effected retrospectively.

As per amendments proposed in the I-T Act by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget proposals, all persons, whether residents or non-residents, having business connection in India, will have to deduct tax at source and pay it to the government even if the transaction is executed on a foreign soil.

The amendments, once carried out, will have implications on Vodafone which won the Rs 11,000-crore tax dispute case against tax authorities in the Supreme Court. It will also impact other similar cases involving taxes to the tune of about Rs 30,000 crore.

About the impact of the proposed amendment on Vodafone case, Ahluwalia said, “I do not want to comment on the impact on any particular company. I think… it is not only appropriate one, but something we have singled in the proposed DTC. We are going to do that anyway.”

On the impact of this move on foreign investment flows, he said, “Whenever you have retrospective amendment which affects an individual, he will certainly feel that he has been treated unfairly.”

However, he allayed fears that this will impact the flow of foreign funds into the country. “I think that foreign investors should have absolutely no doubt in their mind that the government does not intend to change some of the basic conditions retrospectively.

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CHENNAI: Does calling a woman employee ‘bitch’ at the work place amount to sexual harassment? The Madras high court thinks so.

At a time when the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairman is facing flak for saying that a ‘sexy’ tag doesn’t amount to teasing or harassment, the Madras high court has said that dubbing women teachers ‘bitch’ by their male colleague does fall within the definition of ‘sexual harassment’.

The matter relates to the complaints lodged by parents and women teachers of Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Egmore against a male teacher, Tharmen Fernandez. The teacher has since been suspended and a committee, as per the apex court guidelines in the Vishaka case, has been formed to probe the issue following HC orders.

The present petition, raising issues such as conduct of the special committee, the question of inquiring the child witnesses and the term of the committee, was posted before Justice K Chandru.

The judge said while the special three-member committee claimed that staff members had declared that there was no personal harassment by the teacher, a perusal of their depositions made it clear that they all stood by their allegation of sexual harassment by Fernandez and also stated that they were repeatedly referred to as ‘bitch’ by the teacher.

Slamming the committee for its lack of understanding of the issue on hand as well as the Vishaka’s case guidelines, Justice Chandru said: “A reading of the complaints given by various teachers and statements given by them before the committee clearly showed that the allegations come within the definition of the term ‘sexual harassment’ The term ‘sexual harassment’ has a wider meaning.”

He then directed the school management to constitute a new committee which was aware of the Vishaka case. As for allowing child witnesses, who are students of the school levelling sexual harassment allegations against the teacher, to let in evidence, the judge said the school must follow the apex court’s guidelines in the Sakshi case, where it has been held that a child witness should not be made to see the face or body of the accused. A screen should separate the child witness and the suspected offender, and if the accused wanted to cross-examine the child, he should supply a questionnaire beforehand.

Justice Chandru also held that not only teachers and students, even outsiders can invoke the provisions of the Vishaka case to seek prosecution of an offender for sexual harassment. “Vishaka’s guidelines not only dealt with women employees, but also the sexual harassment faced by third parties or outsiders. It is (the) employer’s obligation to take action,” he said.

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MIRPUR: Sachin Tendulkar is at peace with himself.

Special: Sachin hits 100th ton | In Pics: The Making Of A Master

The turmoil and tension of the 100th international hundred is a thing of the past now and the Little Master is relaxed, at least till he takes the field against Pakistan on Sunday. But on Saturday morning, with the entire Indian media descending upon the team hotel, Tendulkar was happy to oblige all.

A cake with ‘Tons of love for you…Master,’ written on it was presented to him and Tendulkar laughed: “Ton ko ghuma doge to not ho jayega (if you turn ‘ton’ around it becomes ‘not’!)” The media around him joined in the laughter but Sachin was probably summing up his state of mind over the last one year. Since March 12, 2011, the ‘ton’ was ‘not’ happening and in every word he has spoken since the end of the Bangladesh match, the relief has been palpable.

“So many times I could have scored that hundred in the last one year. Remember the second innings against West Indies in New Delhi? I played well, India won, but the only thing that got highlighted was me not getting the hundred. It’s not easy,” he said.

But waiting is not something that is new to Tendulkar. He had to wait for almost five years after his debut to make his first ODI century. When asked to compare the two, he recalled, “That time I never felt there was a wait. Obviously the way the media projected it was completely different from now. The sense of anticipation and disappointment this time around was simply unmatched and I don’t know how to explain this.”

A man who has seen it all, even went to the extent of saying “I wish there was someone to guide me, about how to deal with this. I am not complaining but it happened for the first time.”

Much like Tendulkar, Roger Federer, too, had to wait for six long years since becoming No. 1 to win the French Open, a title that made critics agree he was the greatest ever. When Sachin was asked to compare the two situations, the Master paused. “I am sure what Federer went through was tough. I would not compare the 100th hundred with the French Open, rather it would be the World Cup. I had to wait 22 years and that wait was much longer (than Federer’s).”

But Tendulkar made it clear that during the last one year, when the century was not coming, not for once did he lose his focus. “There is one thing I say with utmost confidence that I will get a 100 out of 100 when it comes to effort and commitment. Scoring and not scoring runs will always be part of a career, but what matters at the end of the day is whether I have put in the best effort.”

Now that it’s all over, so many other things are on his mind now. “As I look back, I think about the sacrifices that my brother Ajit has made for me. He gave up his career just to ensure that his brother succeeds in life. Since the time I picked up my cricket bat, he has been with me, encouraging me,” Sachin said with real gratitude in his voice.

“Did you have a talk with Arjun?” somebody asked. “No, not yet. Arjun and Sara are holidaying somewhere and I didn’t get a chance to speak to them. But I will, I know how much they wanted this to happen.”

The talk about his kids made the master really emotional. “You know, Arjun is badly in love with cricket, but he should play just for the love of it. I want him to grow up as a normal human being, I really don’t want him to be surrounded by the media. There’s a time for everything, otherwise so he may end up hating everything.” Clearly, the concerned father in Tendulkar was speaking out.

Even as Sachin thanked his family members, the gentleman cricketer didn’t forget to mention all those physios and masseurs who have helped him stay fit. “I would like to thank all the physios, doctors and masseurs who helped me out when I was in desperate need. They are the backroom boys who never get mentioned and I wanted to thank all of them,” Sachin said, before signing a few autographs, posing for pictures with journos, and flashing that happy, uninhibited smile that still makes the God of Indian cricket the boy next door.

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