Priests, nuns in aided schools must pay income tax on salaries: Supreme Court
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has upheld a Madras High Court decision, ruling that salaries of priests and nuns working as teachers in government-aided schools are subject to income tax. Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, dismissed an appeal challenging the taxation, stating that salary grants provided to schools cannot be exempt from Tax Deducted at Source (TDS).
The case initially saw a single judge in the Madras High Court rule that priests and nuns should be exempt from income tax, as per canon law, with the income directed to their diocese rather than personally retained. However, a division bench reversed this in 2019, leading to the current appeal in the Supreme Court.
During proceedings, Senior Advocate Arvind Datar argued that the funds bypassed the schools and went directly to dioceses, registered as charitable trusts under the Income Tax Act. However, the bench maintained that the government disburses funds to schools as salaries, making TDS mandatory.
Responding to arguments on the vows of poverty taken by priests and nuns, CJI Chandrachud stated that religious vows do not alter employment tax obligations, stressing that tax law applies uniformly. Despite references to past practices exempting priests from tax, the Supreme Court ruled that TDS deductions would apply, permitting priests and nuns to file for refunds if eligible.
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Kerala CM orders vigilance probe into reports of distribution of worm-infested food kits in Wayanad
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 8: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday ordered a vigilance inquiry into the reports of distribution of worm-infested food kits by Meppadi Grama Panchayat to the survivors of the landslides in Chooralmala-Mundakai in Wayanad district.
The CM ordered an inquiry based on the media reports on the food kits, a release issued by the CMO said.
Vijayan said that a report should be submitted immediately.
The probe was ordered following a note given by the Chief Secretary to the CM about the incident, the release said.
The investigation will examine whether the Panchayat distributed old stock or if the food grains were tampered with in any way. A preliminary investigation has already been conducted, it said.
Survivors of the landslides in Chooralmala-Mundakai in Wayanad district alleged that they were given worm-infested food kits by the Meppadi Grama Panchayat, leading to a protest by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Thursday.
The Meppadi Panchayat is governed by the Congress-led UDF.
