NRN wants IT slab to be up by 10 p.c. but doesn't want to pay VAT

   Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy wanted the government to increase personal Income Tax by 10 per cent (to take it to 43 p.c.). He said those earning more than Rs 10 lakh a year can pay more tax. But his firm doesn't want to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on the products it sells. It moves heaven and earth to stop the State Government from levying VAT on it.
He talks rhetoric and Robinhoodisque sermons to address the gallery but not willing to pay when it comes to paying from one's own pocket.

Infosys not liable to pay VAT on software implementation: court

Karnataka Court says it is not part of a sale and, therefore, does not attract the levy

Bengaluru, September 16:  

Bringing relief to information technology service companies such as Infosys, the Karnataka High Court has declared that such companies are not liable to pay any Value Added Tax (VAT) for the software “implementation” process, which happens after installation of customised software.

The contention of the State that the process of implementation of IT software is a pre-sale activity and, therefore, constitutes sale is without substance and contrary to the law, the Court held in its recent verdict. A Division Bench comprising Justice N Kumar and Justice B Veerappa delivered the verdict while allowing petitions filed by Infosys Ltd, Bengaluru.

Infosys had questioned the demand notices, issued by the Commercial Taxes Department in 2012-13, asking the company to pay several crores of rupees as additional sales tax, interest and penalty for the years 2005-09 in relation to “implementation” of Finacle, a universal banking solution developed and provided by the software company in various banks across the country.

The Department had initially accepted the VAT paid by Infosys on the sale value of “packaged and customised versions of Finacle” without treating “implementation” as part of the sale. However, in 2012-13, the Department claimed that “implementation” is nothing but “value addition to Finacle software and therefore there is sale of customised Finacle and attracts VAT.”

Court view

“In substance implementation means the customised software is integrated into several other systems so that the banks can start using the licensed software. In the process, there is no transfer of any goods or right to use any goods, what is rendered is service and therefore, said consideration paid as service charge is not subjected to VAT but subjected to service tax,” the High Court ruled.

The Court also said the process of implementation of a project starts only after installation of software (customised copyrighted Finacle), which is the goods transferred to banks through an agreement.

The Court rejected the State’s contention that the process of software implementation is part of customisation and pre-sale activity, and without it the software is not completely saleable, useable and functional. As “implementation” is included under the definition of taxable services under the Service Tax Act by Parliament, it said the State has no power to levy VAT by treating it as transfer of property in goods or otherwise.

(This article was published on September 16, 2015)

Original link
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/infosys-not-liable-to-pay-vat-on-software-implementation-court/article7659954.ece

Nasscom targets to create 1 m cyber security HR

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/telangana-police-planning-separate-cadre-for-cyber-security/article7640827.ece

In a pilot in AP and Telangana, will offer 12 courses in the space to engineering students

Hyderabad, Sept. 11:  

Cyber security has never really been popular as a specialisation in the Indian IT industry. This segment has failed to catch the imagination of job seekers in the absence of proper appreciation for aspects related to IT security.

The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), an arm of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), is hoping to change this.

It is about to roll out certified courses in 12 different aspects of security.

From January 2016, some 15 engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will offer certified courses, supported by Nasscom.

Recognising the acute shortage of skilled professionals in the country, the council has set a target of producing one million cyber security experts by 2025 to meet the demand from the industry.

“We are currently finalising the courseware and the duration of the course. This is going to be an elective,” Vinayak Godse, Senior Director (Data Protection), told BusinessLine.

The DSCI is planning to scale this up to hundreds of colleges across the country after studying the feedback from the pilot in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

400 qualification packages

Nasscom has identified over 400 qualification packages (QPs) for a cross-section of job roles in the IT and BPO industries. “In the security area, we have identified 12 job roles such as app security and network security. We are planning to train about 1,000 students to begin with,” said Nandkumar Saravade, DSCI Chief Executive Officer.

Nasscom, which has been tasked with preparing a report on the challenges on the cyber front, will complete it by October. “It will cover the aspects of skills, industry requirements, policy changes and technology development to bolster security. We will submit the report next month,” he said. With cyber attacks becoming complex and intense, the Telangana police are planning to raise a separate cadre to help cyber sleuths in the State.

DGP Anurag Sharma told BusinessLine that the police department would put the idea before the government and impress upon it the importance of having such skilled manpower.

(This article was published in Business Line (businessline.in)on September 11, 2015)

How big data helped in tracking the spread of dengue

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 8:  

Big data and analytics is not the lingo of geeks. Here’s how it can be applied to capture and understand some of the nagging issues that developing nations are grappling with.

A group of research and academic bodies have analysed anonymised call data records to understand the spread of the fever, which, if left unattended, could be fatal.

The study found that mobile phone-based mobility estimates accurately predicted the geographic spread and timing of epidemics in both recently epidemic and emerging locations.

Telenor Research teamed up with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Oxford University, the US Center for Disease Control and the University of Peshawar to analyse the spread of dengue in Pakistan.

The impact of human mobility on the emergence of dengue epidemics in Pakistan analysed the data from over three crore Telenor subscribers as dengue hit the country in 2013.

“Accurate predictive models identifying the changing vulnerability to dengue outbreaks are necessary for epidemic preparedness and containment of the virus. Because mobile phone data are continuously being collected, they could be used to help national control programmes plan in near realtime,” Caroline Buckee, assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard University and the study’s senior author has said.

“Dengue is the fastest-spreading tropical disease in the world, with half the global population now living in at-risk regions, including Asia, the Americas, and Africa,” Kenth Engø-Monsen, senior data scientist at Telenor Research, said in a statement on the study.

“A very large mobile data set gave us a bird’s eye view of the human movement that drives transmission, and will help health authorities in at-risk areas put adequate countermeasures in place in anticipation of an outbreak,” the data scientist said.

“The maps and tools we have created have a direct application to future dengue containment and epidemic preparedness and can also be applied to other infectious diseases,” Engø-Monsen said.

(This article was published on September 8, 2015)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/how-big-data-helped-in-tracking-the-spread-of-dengue/article7628898.ece

Smart Cities, Ugly Life

Technology is democratic in nature. It is a great leveler -- no matter who is using it, it gives the
same results, same comfort. But there are a couple of important riders -- you must be able to afford to own and understand technology to enjoy that democratic space.
Technology can improve quality of life. It can significantly change the way we buy things and access services -- public or private. One layer of urban India has already become smart and is enjoying the benefits the Smart world is offering. They are buying tickets, ordering food, booking cabs -- on the go.
With technology tapping all the unused potential, bringing down prices, life has become much more easier for those who can buy a good smart phone wi
th a good Internet connection and, of course.
No wonder the urban India is anxiously waiting for 'Smart Cities' project launched by the Centre. Tasting the utility of smart tools, they want much more.
But the immediate challenges the urban India facing are not so smart. They, in fact, are ugly and deserve immediate attention. It sounds          rhetoric, if one talks about the acute poverty, poor sanitation, abysmal healthcare facilities, illiteracy and lack of jobs. The cost of living has gone up so high that even the middleclass is feeling the pinch. Majority of people in urban areas are living in unlivable conditions.
Looks like our priorities are skewed. It's become glamorous for politicians to talk technology, Smart Cities, e-commerce. The more you talk technology and 'smartness', the more you get coverage in the media.
A sense of equity must prevail. While a larger section of cities are under tremendous pressure. While the cities are saddled with poor and insufficient infrastructure making travel a real hell, smart apps are equipping the police with super smart tools to nab those who violate traffic rules. You are blaming the victim.
A top Telangana bureaucrat announced that the Government intends to do away with all physical interactions over a period of three years. "We will make all the G-2-c services available only electronic form," he said.
Sounds great. Isn't it?
But, then, one must remember that we are not the US or the UK or Sweden.
The talk on Smart Cities is targeted at satisfying the influential layer of urban areas. If it is satisfied, its vocal section is satisfied. Or, they can quickly write a blog post or send out a Tweet that would be retweeted several times over, or start a Facebook page to quickly garner public support.
I am not saying it is not important. It's any way being taken care by the social media. Young, enterprising start-ups are driving innovation, taking care of the needs of this layer.
But what the government must focus on is the bigger, uglier part of the urban areas. People are dying in hundreds of dengue, swine flue and diarrhea and need urgent . They deserve immediate attention. Now.

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