Monday 27 August 2018

How many days will it take to change my father's name in a PAN card?

  • Usually it takes around 10 to 20 days to change the details in the existing PAN card. To change the details, all the applicant needs to do is to follow the steps mentioned below:
  • Visit www.tin-nsdl.com/
  • Next, the applicant is required to select ‘PAN’ from under the ‘Services’ drop-down menu.
  • Thereafter, the applicant needs to click on ‘Apply’ under the tab ‘Change/Correction in PAN Data’.
  • On doing so, select the ‘Application Type’ as ‘Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data/ Reprint of PAN card (No changes in existing PAN Data).
  • Next, select ‘Category’
  • Following that, fill in the details like name, date of birth, e-mail ID, and mobile number.
  • Enter the Captcha code and click on ‘Submit’.
  • On doing so, the applicant will be provided with a 10-digit Token number, which will also be sent on the email address provided in the PAN application.
  • Next, the applicant is required to click on ‘Continue with PAN Application Form’ to fill the remaining PAN application form.
  • Check the option from among the options like ‘Submit digitally through e-KYC and e-Sign (Paperless)’, ‘Submit scanned images through e-Sign’, and ‘Forward application documents physically’ provided on the top of the page.
  • Next, enter the PAN card number whose details are to be corrected.
  • Fill in the details asked for in the form
  • After filling the form, the applicant needs to upload identity, age and residence proof.
  • Next, go through the details before saving the form to avoid errors.
  • The next step that the applicant need to follow is to make the payment.

Tuesday 10 April 2018

National Voters Day-History, Theme, and Importance

Every Indian citizen, above 18 years of age have the right to cast a vote and choose the government they prefer. As the largest democratic country in the world, India gives a lot of importance to people’s choices and freedom. While many people in other countries long for a democratic government and want to exercise their voting rights, few people in India prefer to not cast a vote as they think it does not make any difference. When was the last time you tried to explain to a teenager about the importance of voting and got ignored? Youngsters in India need to be motivated and encouraged to cast their vote. They should be taught how their votes can be used by others as a bogus vote which will only form a corrupt government.

History of National Voter’s Day
After noticing that voters who attained 18 years of age showing less or no interest in voting, the Government of India decided that they should motivate and encourage the young voters of the country to participate in the elections. For this reason, the Indian Government decided to celebrate 25 January as National Voter’s Day or Rashtriya Matdata Diwas every year. This particular day was selected as it was also the foundation day of the Election Commission of India. So, every year on this day, the government launches various campaigns National Voters Day-History, Theme, and Importance
to educate young voters about the role they play in the elections and the importance of exercising their voting rights. The first National Voter’s Day was celebrated in 2011 and been a successful event ever since.  The then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh announced about the National Voter’s Day to the people of India.

Themes of National Voter’s Day in India
Every year, the Election Commission of India comes with different themes for the National Voter’s Day. Every year the aim of having a theme is to increase the participation of citizens in the voting process. Some of the themes so far are:
  • “Greater participation for a stronger democracy” was the theme of the National Voters Day in 2011.
  • “Inclusion” was the theme in 2013.
  • In 2015, the EC promoted awareness under the theme “Easy registration, easy correction”.
  • “Inclusive and qualitative participation” was the theme in 2016.
  • “Empowering young and future voters” was the themes in 2017.
  • 'Accessible elections' was the theme for the current year, 2018.

Importance of the National Voter’s Day
  • National Voter’s Day creates awareness about the power of voting among youngsters who will be the pillar of the society in the future.
  • This day also focuses on registering new voters. This way, every year, the number of voters increases.
  • Celebrating National Voter’s Day also brings unity among the people of India which helps them make better decisions and choose a just government.
  • Every year, the EC chooses a theme and works around it. These themes help in making the entire voting process easy for the public.
  • Every year, the government makes the election process easier and transparent. This makes the government trustworthy.

Unlike many other countries, India gives their citizens the right to vote. It is the duty of every citizen to apply for a Voter ID Card and cast a vote. If you feel none of the political parties deserves to win, please make use of the NOTA option. Nota stands for “None of the above”. You can choose this option while casting your vote if you feel that none of the parties deserves your vote.

Monday 6 March 2017

Everything you need to know about the F1 and M1 Visa Student Programmes

F1 and M1 Visas are issued to international students who wish to pursue academic or non-academic programmes in the US. While the F1 Visa is issued to students who wish to pursue academic programmes or English language programmes in the United States, M1 Visas are issued to international students aspiring to pursue non-academic or vocational courses in accredited and certified institutions in the US. Let us look at both these programmes in detail and cite the differences between these two student Visa programmes.

The F1 Student Visa Program

The F1 Visa program is one of the most popular student Visa programmes in the world, especially considering the thousands of students from around the globe who wish to pursue their education in the US. The Visa, as mentioned earlier, is issued not only for students who wish to pursue academic programmes in schools and colleges, but also to those intending to study English language programmes in the US.


Students who’re issued with F1 Visas can stay in the US for a period of 60 days beyond the stipulated completion date of the course. Their stay can be extended, provided they’ve been approved to stay in the US and work for a period of time after completion of their course under the OTP programme.

Eligibility criteria to apply for the F1 Student Visa

     Applicants should have a valid foreign residence and are expected to return to their home country upon completion of their course in the US.
     Students who’ve been granted the F1 Visa and approved to study in a particular institution are required to complete their course in the same institution.
     All applicants should show proof that they have an asset/relationship with their home country. In other words, any proof submitted during the time of the interview has to be accurate and authentic.
     Adequate financial support needs to be demonstrated in order to be issued with the Visa. Candidates must prove that they have the required funds to complete their course in the United States.

Items and documents to be provided at the time of the Visa Interview

        Form DS-160: The Form DS-160 needs to be duly filled. This online form indicates that you wish to apply for a non-immigrant Visa.
        Form DS-157: All males aged between 14 and 45 are required to fill out Form DS-157 and submit it.
        A non-refundable application fee needs to be paid at the consulate.
        Passport: All applicants must possess a valid passport, the validity of which does not expire before 6 months post the completion of the course in the US. Meaning, the validity of your passport should be a date that extends at least 6 months beyond the stipulated course completion date.

        Photos to be submitted: 3 recent passport sized photographs.