Don't tax gifts to wives, daughters-in-law: Maneka Gandhi
New Delhi, July 10 : Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi has urged Finance Minister Piyush Goyal to make amendments to the Income Tax Act so that gifts to wives or daughters-in-law are not taxed.
"As a society, the onus of ensuring economic empowerment of our women lies on each of us. Following several requests from women, especially wives and daughters-in-law, I have urged the Finance Minister to examine and suitably amend Section 64 of the Income Tax Act," she tweeted.
The Section 64 deals with clubbing of incomes and provides that if a husband gifts an asset to his wife and the asset results in some income to the wife, the income will be added to the taxable income of the husband.
"The provision was originally formulated in 1960s under the assumption that wives and daughters-in-law would normally not have any independent taxable income," the Union Minister tweeted late on Monday.
However, Gandhi said the act was having an adverse effect as women at present were becoming financially more independent.
"Today with women leaving an indelible mark in every field, the Act seems to have an adverse effect.
"It has come to fore through several requests that husbands and fathers-in-law are apprehensive to transfer assets to women in their families because they fear that income accruing from the asset will ultimately become a burden on them," she added.
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Karnataka: Forest minister to disburse relocation cheques to Talewadi village applicants
Hubballi: Forest minister Eshwar Khandre will hand over relocation cheques to 57 residents of Talewadi village in Belagavi on May 17, under the voluntary relocation programme.
Located within the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, Talewadi is the first of 13 villages earmarked for relocation from one of Karnataka’s densest forests — a crucial tiger corridor linking the Kali Tiger Reserve with tiger habitats in Goa and Maharashtra, Deccan Herald reported on Thursday.
The relocation will free up over 1,000 hectares of inviolate forest land for wildlife. For the villagers, the move promises access to better healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
The residents of the village have been demanding relocation since 2013–14, citing challenges like poor connectivity and seasonal isolation during monsoons, when overflowing streams would cut them off from the mainland, added the report.
Khandre had visited the village in December 2024, assuring residents of support and timely action. The upcoming cheque disbursal marks the fulfillment of that promise, as the entire Talewadi village is being relocated outside the protected area.
“There was no force from the department for relocation. This is completely on our request,” said Bayaji Varak, a Talewadi resident and one of the beneficiaries of the relocation.
