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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Cricket’s Quiet Crusader

Former kca Selection Chief who helped nurture a generation of women cricketers when the sport struggled for recognition Niketha Ramankutty A prominent figure in Indian women’s cricket, Niketha Ramankutty — former Chairperson of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Women’s Selection Committee and Manager of the Kerala State women’s teams — has long championed the game, especially when women’s cricket had little platform in her home state. Her dedication helped nurture girls taking to cricket...

Cricket’s Quiet Crusader

Former kca Selection Chief who helped nurture a generation of women cricketers when the sport struggled for recognition Niketha Ramankutty A prominent figure in Indian women’s cricket, Niketha Ramankutty — former Chairperson of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Women’s Selection Committee and Manager of the Kerala State women’s teams — has long championed the game, especially when women’s cricket had little platform in her home state. Her dedication helped nurture girls taking to cricket in Kerala. During her tenure, which ended recently, five players from the state went on to represent India, while three now feature in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Niketha’s journey began in 1995 on modest grounds and rough pitches in the blazing sun of her native Thrissur. At the time, girls aspiring to play cricket often drew curious stares or disapproving glances. This was despite Kerala producing some of India’s finest female athletes, including P.T. Usha, Shiny Wilson, Anju Bobby George, K.M. Beenamol and Tintu Luka. “Those were the days when women’s cricket did not attract packed stadiums, prime-time television coverage, lucrative contracts or celebrity status. Thankfully, the BCCI has taken progressive steps, including equal pay for the senior women’s team and launching the WPL. These have brought greater visibility, professional avenues and financial security for women cricketers,” Niketha said during a chat with  The Perfect Voice  in Pune. With better infrastructure, stronger domestic competitions and greater junior-level exposure, she believes the future of women’s cricket in India is bright and encourages more girls to pursue the sport seriously. Humble Beginnings Niketha began playing informal matches in neighbourhood kalisthalams (playgrounds) and school competitions before realising cricket was her true calling. Coaches who noticed her composure encouraged her to pursue the game seriously. More than flamboyance, she brought reliability and quiet determination to the turf — qualities every captain values when a match hangs in the balance. These traits helped her rise through the ranks and become a key figure in Kerala’s women’s cricket structure. “She was like a gentle messiah for the players. During demanding moments, they could rely on her – whether to stabilise an innings or lift team spirit,” recalled a former colleague. Guiding Youngsters Her involvement came when women’s cricket in many states struggled even for basic facilities. Matches were rarely covered by the media, and limited travel or training arrangements often tested players’ patience. “As a mother of two daughters—Namradha, 18, and Nivedya, 14—I could understand the emotions of the young girls in the teams. Guiding players through difficult phases and helping them overcome failures gave me the greatest satisfaction,” she said. Niketha — an English Literature graduate with a master’s in Tourism Management — believes success in sport demands not only skill but also sacrifice. Strong parental support and encouragement from her husband, Vinoth Kumar, an engineer, helped her overcome many challenges. Never one to seek the spotlight, she let her performances speak for themselves, earning respect on the national circuit. Quiet Legacy Today, the landscape has changed dramatically. Young girls are more ambitious, parents more supportive, and cricket is seen as a viable career with opportunities in coaching, umpiring, team management, sports analysis and allied fields. Players like Niketha have quietly strengthened the sport. Their journeys show that some victories are not won under stadium floodlights, but by determined women who simply refused to stop playing.

Boon To Working Middle Class

Updated: Feb 3, 2025

Working Middle Class

Year after year the union budget continues to be a very popular event in the country, especially for the working middle class, more importantly for the salaried and the MSME business class. The budget speech is generally divided into two parts. The First part mainly covers various budget allocations to different sectors of the economy of the country. The second part generally deals with the provisions of personal and corporate income tax which affects the entire middle class of the country. It also deals with indirect taxes i.e the customs duty and GST. However, in the recent past, it has been noticed that the GST provisions are amended almost throughout the year. Hence the main focus as far as the working middle class is concerned is on the provisions of the personal income tax.


New income tax Bill to be introduced

This year’s budget speech was no exception as the first part dealt with budget allocations to several key sectors like promoting skillful indigenous manufacturing, Education, Health Care, urban development and financial sector. Right at the beginning of the second part, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a new Income Tax Bill will be introduced in a week’s time. So, the nation can expect a completely new income tax act that can come into force very soon. The objective of the new Income Tax bill is to simplify the Act. The present Income Tax Act, 1961 is considered by many as an ambiguously worded complex text which has led to a lot of litigations on its interpretational aspect in the past. The new bill is expected to be worded in a very simple manner.


Amendments to personal income tax

The Finance Minister proposed some very beneficial income tax provisions right towards the end of her budget speech. For several years now, the middle class which has been the major contributor to the personal income tax collection in the country has been demanding a lower rate of income tax. This demand has mainly triggered from the high inflation rate, the higher cost of living and the reduced spending capacity of the middle class owing to the fact that a substantial portion of their salaries is used up in payment of high taxes. A lower personal income tax rate would result into a sizable disposable income in the hands of the middle class which would result in higher spending which in turn would trigger the economic growth that the PM Narendra Modi has been envisaging for a very long time.


The amount of income up to which no tax shall be payable was Rs 5 lakhs in 2023. This amount was increased to Rs. 7 lakhs in the Finance Act. 2024. This amount has further been increased to a whopping 12 lakhs in the current budget. This has come as a big relief to all the middle-class people who have income up to 12 lakhs. Hence a person having total taxable income upto Rs 12 lakhs will not be required to pay any income tax. In fact, a salaried taxpayer will not be required to pay any tax where his income before standard deduction is less than or equal to Rs.12,75,000. The new tax slabs are also expected to reduce the tax burden of persons having income in excess of Rs.12 lakhs. The basic exemption limit has also been increased from 2.5 lakhs to 4 lakhs. This means that a person having total taxable income up to ₹4,00,000 need not file an income tax return at all. However, it is worth noting that persons having income between 4 lakhs to 12 lakhs must file a return of income and claim a rebate. They will not be required to pay any tax though.


In case of senior citizens, the threshold above which TDS is required to be deducted on interest on fixed deposits has been raised from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,00,000. The provision to claim two house properties as self-occupied properties without any condition is also a welcome amendment. Also, In the previous budget a new provision to file an updated return was introduced wherein a taxpayer could file his or her return of income upon payment of the taxes up to two years from the end of the year. After having received a positive response with over 90 lakhs updated returns being filed in the past year. The period of filing such updated returns has been extended from 2 to 4 years.


Rationalisation of TDS limits

Businesses are also expected to benefit from a reduction in the compliance by rationalization of TDS limits on payment of rent, professional fees, commission etc. Small charitable trusts should also benefit from lesser compliance by the extension of the validity of their registration from 5 years to 10 years. On one hand the working middle class will be happy with the reduction in their tax burden and on the other they will also be hoping that the huge spending will result in employment, good infrastructure and better living conditions.

(The author is a Chartered Accountant based in Mumbai.)

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