Life insurance benefits to Provident Fund employees increased to Rs.1lakh under Deposit linked Insurance scheme (EDLI)

EDLI Scheme amended:  In effect, on death during employment, Family member/nominee will get the following:

• if Average balance is more than Rs.50,000/-
• then Insurance Amount = Rs. 50,000/- + 40% (Excess), subject to a maximum of Rs. 1,00,000/-

Paragraph 22 of Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1974

22.       Scales of assurance benefit and the minimum average balance to be maintained by an employee. – (1)  On the death of an employee, who is a member of the Fund or of a provident fund exempted under section 17 of the Act, as the case may be, the persons entitled to receive the provident fund accumulations of the deceased shall, in addition to such accumulations be paid an amount, equal to the average  balance in the account of the deceased in the Fund or of a Provident Fund exempted under Section 17 of the Act, as the case may be, during preceding twelve months or during the period of his membership, whichever is less, except where the average balance exceeds Rs.50,000 (erstwhile limit was Rs.25,000/-), the amount payable shall be Rs.50,000 (erstwhile Rs.25,000/-)plus 40% (earlier limit was 25%) of the amount in excess of Rs.50,000 (erstwhile Rs.25,000/-) subject to a ceiling of Rs. 1 lakh (earlier Rs. 35,000).

Download Notification No. GSR 523(E) dated 18th June 2010.

Consumer Protection & MRTP cases for CS Executive Program/Final exams, interesting read and All the best for December exams 2009

For the world, its the expectation of Christmas week & the New Year Celebrations!!! (but for the blessed few: those who are appearing for Company Secretary exams).

CS Final (Old Syllabus) and CS Executive Program Students do read the recent Economic Law cases as compiled by Mr. Ankur Garg and published here: http://www.caclubindia.com/articles/article_list_detail.asp?article_id=3851

Yehseeyes wishes all the very best for your December 2009 exams.  As of now, forget other things, just remember the following,

1. Read again what you have read before (called as Revision) which is a must to remember atleast something.
2. Fear not for the exams.  Be confident as it is supposed to be faced that way!
3. Have your Hall Ticket, you can take prints also from the link http://icsi.edu/Student/Queries/tabid/1587/Default.aspx and then click “Admit Card Extract Link”, which also requires you to register with www.icsi.in (take print & keep spare copy to avoid last minute misplacement).
4. Keep ready smart writing pens.  Never go for fancy colour inks.  Blue is excellent, at places and rarely you may add it up with Black.
5. Focus on the Questions more in the exam.  Whether it is law or issues or problems, it requires lot of understanding before giving the solutions. 

Its Only This Much.  Hi Only This Much book readers for Company Secretary exams, waiting for your constructive feedbacks (onlythismuch@lawlabz.com) to make CS studies more exciting.

Again wishing you all the best!!! Finish the exams and then we will discuss, what next!!! forget the world, its your exams now…

[EPF-international workers]43A-Provident Fund applicability mandatory on EXPATRIATES

PF and EPF scheme for International Workers

Para 83 has been inserted in EPF Scheme w.e.f. 1-10-2008 to make provisions for provident fund to international worker.

International worker is (a) an Indian employee who has worked or is going to work in a foreign country with which India has entered into a social security agreement and when the employee is eligible to avail social security programme of that country (b) an employee other than Indian employee, working for an establishment in India to which the EPF Act applies. International worker working in India shall be required to become member of Employees Provident Fund. However, such contribution is not required if he is ¡excluded employee. Excluded employee¢ means an international worker who is contributing to social security programme of his/her country of origin, with whom India has entered into a social security agreement on reciprocity basis, and the employee is enjoying status of ¡detached¢ worker as per agreement with other country. The Indian employer is required to submit details of ¡international worker¢ employed by him and also submit periodic returns. Para 43A of EPF Scheme (inserted w.e.f. 1-10-2008) makes provision for pension to international workers, as defined in para 83 of the EPF scheme. The scheme applies to member covered by international social security agreement. The scheme makes provisions for calculating pensionable service and pensionable salary of such employees.

The salient features of the Amendment by Mr. Gokul, Trivandrum

1) The employees qualifying as 'international workers' will contribute to the EPF schemes and the employers would also be required to make an equal contribution.

2) The employees likely to be affected or benefited would include expatriates (foreign citizens) working in India and even Indian employees deputed to work abroad. With the employer picking up their share of the contributions also, the expatriate assignment costs are going to increase even further.
3) The notification exempts international workers from those countries with which India has signed Social Security Agreements, commonly known as Totalisation Agreements, and who have been contributing to their home country social security schemes. India has currently finalised totalisation agreements with Belgium, France and Germany . The entire objective of such agreements is to ensure a level playing-field for mobile assignees. These agreements aim to protect the interests of Indian professionals by securing exemption from social security contributions in case of certain short-term assignments in the host country.
4) In essence, there is no impact of the amendment on the employees of the establishment who are working in the foreign countries with whom India has not signed SSA. Such employees will continue to contribute to the Social Security Schemes of the country in which they are posted but may not get any benefit out of such contribution.
5) The Indian employees on short term international assignments (period specified in each agreement), who are contributing to Indian PF scheme, would not be required to contribute to the social security schemes in the respective host countries.

Provisions Employer needs to comply with,

1) To send to the Provident Fund Commissioner, within 15 days of the commencement of the scheme (1.11.2008), a consolidated return in such form as the Commissioner may specify of the International worker indicating clearly nationality of each and every international worker required or entitled to become member of the fund showing the basic wage, retaining allowance, if any and Dearness Allowance irrespective of wage/salary ceiling including the cash value of any food concession paid to each of such international workers. However, if there is no international worker who is required or entitled to become a member of the fund, the employer shall send "Nil' Returns.
2) To send to the Commissioner, within 15 days of close of each month, a return of the International workers qualifying to become members of the fund for the first time during the preceding month.

EPF online employees provident fund claim status

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched a facility for online verification of status of the claim under the EPF.

The facility can be availed at http://epfindia. nic.in/indiaepf/ loginnew. aspx the user needs to select,

the State, the EPF office, Establishment Code, Extension code, if any and then enter the employee number to ascertain the claim status.

SC rules that leave encashment should not be included in wages for PF calculation

Credits to Mr. CS Ravichandran of AIG.

In a significant ruling reducing the deductions on the salary sheet , the Supreme Court has held that the money got by an employee from encashing earned leave could not be taken as wages for calculation of provident fund (PF) contributions. Deciding a bunch of petitions in favour of the employees, a bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam rejected the stand of regional PF commissioner that the amount received on encashment of earned leave had to be taken into account for the purpose of calculating PF contributions.
The bench allowed the appeals -- the lead case being the one filed by Manipal Academy of Higher Education -- saying "the inevitable conclusion is that basic wage was never intended to include amounts received for leave encashment". It took note of a Mumbai case where an employer was including the amount of leave encashment as emoluments for the purpose of calculating PF dues from the employer as well as employees' contribution. When the Employees' Union took up the issue with the commissioner, it was informed that the provision did not provide for deduction of PF on leave encashment.
"Where the wage is universally, necessarily and ordinarily paid to all across the board, such emoluments are basic wages. Conversely, any payment by way of a special incentive or work, is not basic wages," the court said.

Civil Appeal No. 1832 of 2004 With Civil Appeal Nos. 2535, 2536, 2539, 2540 and 2541 of 2004
MANIPAL ACADEMY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Vs
PROVIDENT FUND COMMISSIONER
Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam, JJ.
Dated : March 12, 2008
PF Contribution: Basic wages:
(a) Where the wage is universally, necessarily and ordinarily paid to all across the board such emoluments are basic wages.
(b) Where the payment is available to be specially paid to those who avail of the opportunity is not basic wages. By way of example it was held that overtime allowance, though it is generally in force in all concerns is not earned by all employees of a concern. It is also earned in accordance with the terms of the contract of employment but because it may not be earned by all employees of a concern, it is excluded from basic wages.
(c) Conversely, any payment by way of a special incentive or work is not basic wages.

"The inevitable conclusion is that basic wage was never intended to include amounts received for leave encashment."

For detailed judgment, click http://thisisvj.googlepages.com/basicwagewasneverintendedtoincludeam.doc

Labour Laws

Credits to the author. It can be viewed in http://thisisvj.googlepages.com/LabourLaws.pdf
This PLUS http://www.dateyvs.com/ (Labour Primer) can make you the master of Labour Laws.

Enjoy referring...

PPF update(RBI) - Vj

Vj updates...

RBI/2007-2008/125DGBA.CDD.H-2281/15.02.001/2007-08
Public Provident Fund Scheme, 1968 (PPF) - Settlement of PPF Claims of Subscribers, who go missing.