New Delhi, March 26: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that a special campaign carried out by the Income Tax Department has led to the declaration of foreign assets and income to the tune of Rs 30, 300 crore after over 30,000 taxpayers revised their income tax returns or filed belated returns for 2024-25.

The Finance Minister said in the Lok Sabha that SMS and e-mails were sent to around 19,501 taxpayers, asking them to review their income tax returns based on information collected by the Income Tax Department on foreign deposits.

She said the “nudge campaign” resulted in 11,162 taxpayers revising their tax returns and filing the Schedule Foreign Assets Form, declaring total assets of Rs 11,259.29 crore and disclosing foreign income of Rs 154.42 crore. Another 883 taxpayers revised their ITRs and corrected their status from resident to non-resident in the revised return for 2024-25.

An additional 13,516 taxpayers declared foreign assets of Rs 7,564 crore and foreign income of approximately Rs 353 crore in their revised ITR for 2024-25.

The Income Tax Department launched a compliance-cum-awareness campaign, aimed at encouraging voluntary disclosures of offshore wealth and income. The drive focused on a data-driven and non-intrusive approach, which led to a 45.17 per cent year-on-year jump in voluntary disclosures in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24.

According to sources, tax authorities received financial information from over 108 countries regarding foreign accounts and income in the form of interest and dividends earned outside India by its citizens.

The number of taxpayers disclosing foreign assets and income voluntarily has shot up from 60,000 in 2021-22 to 2,31,452 taxpayers in 2024-25.

India is one of the early adopters of Common Reporting Standards (CRS) and has been receiving data since 2018.

More than 125 countries have agreed to share financial information of individuals linked to other jurisdictions on an automatic basis, including details of accounts held, account balances, dividends, interest received, and gross payments.

A similar exchange occurs with the US under the Inter-Governmental Agreement under the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), 2010.

Using this data received under the automatic exchange of information, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) launched a Compliance-Cum-Awareness Campaign on November 17, 2024, urging taxpayers to declare their foreign assets and income in revised Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year (AY) 2024-25.

This campaign followed a system-driven and taxpayer-friendly approach, utilising the information received through CRS and FATCA.

The Income Tax Department also facilitated taxpayers by providing a step-by-step guide to filling out Schedule Foreign Assets and Schedule Foreign Source Income, along with explanatory materials to help them understand the information received under these frameworks.

Mumbai, March 21: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cracked down on multiple companies for misappropriation of funds raised through rights issues in the stock markets, after receiving complaints from whistleblowers.

SEBI is reported to have initiated investigations against these companies for the alleged illegal diversion of funds by promoters to their relatives or front companies for personal use rather than the declared purpose for which the money was raised.

The capital markets watchdog is currently looking into four or five such entities and has discerned a pattern in the misuse of such funds. The issue is, therefore, also being taken up on a broader level.

Most of the cases relate to small and dormant companies which float a rights issue, in which shares are offered to existing shareholders at a discount to raise funds for further investment to expand the business. However, these funds are then diverted for personal use such as buying property.

Unlike pump and dump cases, fund diversion from rights issues does not have an immediate impact on the stock market. Hence, such misuse of funds is more difficult to detect and whistleblower complaints are the main source of information in unearthing the cases.

In an interim order passed on December 5, 2024, SEBI observed that Mishtann Foods Ltd. misused proceeds from its rights issue, transferring funds to promoters and group entities instead of their stated purpose. The company withdrew an initial Rs 150 crore rights issue and later issued smaller rights issues under Rs 50 crore, seemingly to avoid SEBI scrutiny.

The markets regulator has barred the company from raising public funds and prohibited the promoters from trading or accessing the capital markets.

Mishtann Foods was also asked to return Rs 49.82 crore misappropriated from its rights issue and Rs 47.10 crore diverted through fictitious transactions. To improve governance, SEBI has mandated the formation of a new audit committee to ensure strict compliance with regulations.

Additionally, BSE has been directed not to approve any further rights issues by the company. These directives will remain in force until further orders.

In another order passed on December 11, 2024, SEBI released an order against Debock Industries Ltd. The company was found to have engaged in financial misconduct, including manipulating its financial statements, submitting false bank statements, and siphoning off rights issue proceeds.

The company allegedly used fictitious preferential issues to migrate to the Main Board of the stock exchange. As a result, SEBI imposed strict restrictions, preventing the accused from dealing in securities or accessing the capital markets.

New Delhi, March 20: Siddhartha Mohanty, CEO and MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), said on Thursday that the nation’s largest insurer has consistently focused on reaching rural areas and economically and socially disadvantaged sections.

A day after a delegation of LIC agents met the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and raised issues regarding recent changes in rules which make insurance less affordable for the poorest, the LIC CEO denied such concerns, saying, “We aim to extend financial protection to every insurable individual at an affordable cost.”

“We want to clarify that LIC has introduced products that align with the New Product Regulations set by IRDA, effective from October 1, 2024, keeping policyholders’ interests at the forefront,” Mohanty said in a statement.

Stressing that LIC is committed to broadening life insurance coverage, Mohanty said that with a diverse portfolio catering to various customer segments and different strata of society, LIC fully complies with all regulatory requirements.

“As an example, our ‘Micro Bachat’ plan offers a minimum sum assured of Rs 1 lakh and is exempt from GST, ensuring accessibility. Post changes in product regulations, the commission has not been reduced for agents, it has been given in a staggered manner,” he informed.

Mohanty added that LIC remains dedicated to providing financial security to its policyholders while supporting its agency force’s well-being.

In his meeting with LIC agents, Rahul Gandhi said that the LIC was formed in 1956 to provide affordable insurance to all Indians. The Congress leader assured that he would raise this issue in Parliament.

Meanwhile, LIC recorded a 28.29 per cent surge in group yearly renewable premiums and a 7.9 per cent rise in individual premiums during the first 11 months of FY25, according to the latest industry data.

As of February 2025, LIC’s total premium collection stood at Rs 1.90 lakh crore, reflecting a 1.90 per cent increase from the Rs 1.86 lakh crore collected in the corresponding period of FY24.