Author name: sreegesh@insightdrive.xyz

Medical Emergency Outside Home Country Immediate Actions (First 1–2 Hours) Short-term Steps (First 24–72 Hours) Resolution Steps (On Return to India) Prevention (Prepare Before You Leave India) Immediate Actions — First 1–2 Hours 1 Call 112 (the international emergency number, works in most countries) or the local equivalent for immediate medical assistance. In the USA: 911. In the UK: 999. In most of Europe: 112. 2 Call your travel insurer’s international assistance helpline immediately — this is the most important financial call. The assistance company can authorise cashless treatment at the hospital, preventing you from having to pay upfront costs you cannot afford. 3 If you are incapacitated: a travelling companion must make both calls — medical services and insurance assistance. If alone: ask hospital staff to help you contact your insurer. 4 Provide the hospital with your travel insurance policy number and the insurer’s assistance company’s contact details — ask them to coordinate directly with the insurer for cashless treatment authorisation. 5 Do not refuse treatment on cost grounds — treatment must come first. The financial resolution comes after stabilisation. Short-Term Steps — First 24–72 Hours 1 Notify the Indian Embassy of your hospitalisation — for serious cases, they can monitor your situation and assist with family notification. 2 Have a family member in India informed immediately — they may need to travel to assist you or to handle financial arrangements. 3 Collect all medical documentation from the first moment: diagnosis, treatment records, bills, discharge summary. Even if the insurer is providing cashless treatment, collect originals — you will need them for the final claim reconciliation. 4 If the insurer’s assistance company recommends medical evacuation (air ambulance to India or to a better-equipped facility): follow their advice — medical evacuation is extremely expensive without insurance cover (USD 50,000–150,000) and is covered under most comprehensive travel policies. 5 Keep receipts for all associated expenses: accommodation for a travelling companion, meals, local transport, communication costs — these are often covered under the ‘compassionate visit’ or ‘attendant expenses’ clause. Resolution Steps — On Return to India 1 On discharge: obtain a comprehensive discharge summary in English (or with a certified translation) — this is the foundation of your insurance claim. 2 File the complete insurance claim on return to India within the policy’s claim deadline (typically 30–90 days of return). 3 For cashless treatment: the insurer settles directly with the hospital. You are responsible for any amounts not covered — co-pays, non-medical items, amounts above policy limits. 4 For reimbursement: submit all original bills, medical reports, and treatment records to the insurer’s Indian claims team. 5 If the insurer denied cashless treatment or is disputing the claim: escalate to IRDAI Bima Bharosa on return (bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in). Prevention — Prepare Before You Leave India ✓ Buy travel insurance with a minimum of USD 100,000 medical coverage for international trips — this is not optional for travel to USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, or Japan. ✓ Disclose pre-existing conditions honestly when buying travel insurance — undisclosed conditions are the most common basis for overseas claim rejection. ✓ Save the international assistance helpline number in your phone as a contact before every trip — not in an email or document you cannot access without internet. ✓ Carry a brief ‘medical summary’ card in your wallet listing your blood group, known conditions, current medications, and allergies — this helps treating physicians in an emergency. ✓ For senior travellers or those with pre-existing conditions: buy a policy that explicitly covers those conditions, even at a higher premium. The differential is trivial compared to the financial risk. Watch Video Guide Your browser does not support the video tag. Your Rights Travel insurance policies with medical coverage must provide emergency medical assistance — the insurer’s assistance company is their agent and their authorisation creates an obligation to cover the costs. Denial of cashless treatment abroad when you have a valid policy and called the assistance helpline is a service failure by the insurer. You are entitled to file a complaint with IRDAI on return. Key Contacts & Portals Who / What Contact / Action Emergency (Universal) 112 (works in most countries) | 911 (USA) | 999 (UK) Your travel insurer assistance On your policy card — most important number to have saved MEA Emergency Helpline (+91)-11-2301-2113 Who / What Contact / Action Indian Embassy abroad mea.gov.in — locate nearest Indian mission Madad Portal madad.gov.in — register situation with MEA | Madad app on App Store and Google Play IRDAI Bima Bharosa bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in | 155255 — on return for disputes

Income Tax Demand Notice Received Immediate Actions (First 24–72 Hours) Short-term Steps (First 2–4 Weeks) Resolution Steps (Next 1–6 Months) Prevention (Stay Compliant, Stay Safe) Immediate Actions — First 24–72 Hours 1 Read the notice in full and identify: the assessment year it relates to, the section under which it is issued (143(1), 143(3), 148, 156, etc.), the exact amount demanded, and the specific grounds stated. 2 Log into the Income Tax portal (incometax.gov.in) with your PAN — all notices are also posted there under ‘Pending Actions.’ Confirm the notice is genuine — some tax demand SMSs are phishing attempts. Verify only on the official portal. 3 Check Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) on the IT portal — compare TDS credits and income entries against what you filed. A Section 143(1) demand often arises from a TDS mismatch or an omission that can be seen in these documents. 4 Identify whether the demand is correct or contestable: if the demand is correct, pay it promptly with interest to stop further accumulation. If you disagree with the demand and are convinced that it is incorrect, prepare to file a response. 5 It is recommended to engage a Chartered Accountant or tax consultant if the amount is above ₹50,000 or if the notice is for scrutiny (143(3)) — these require professional handling. Short-Term Steps — First 2–4 Weeks 1 For Section 143(1) intimations: if you agree with the demand — pay through the IT portal using ‘Pay Tax’ (Challan 280, Self-Assessment Tax). Calculate interest under Sections 234A (filing delay), 234B (advance tax shortfall), and 234C (deferred installments) — these run from the original due dates and increase the total payable. Pay these simultaneously. If you disagree with the demand — file a rectification request under Section 154 on the portal, uploading supporting documents. For demands arising from TDS mismatch, obtain a corrected TDS certificate from the deductor and upload it with your rectification request. 2 For scrutiny assessments (143(3)): respond to the notice within the specified date through the e-proceedings section of the IT portal. Submit all documents supporting your return — bank statements, investment proofs, salary slips, Form 16. 3 Calculate interest under Sections 234A (filing delay), 234B (advance tax shortfall), and 234C (deferred installments) — these run from the original due dates and increase the total payable. Pay these simultaneously. 4 For demands arising from TDS mismatch: obtain a corrected TDS certificate (Form 16/16A) from the deductor and upload it with your rectification request. 5 Do not ignore the notice hoping it will go away — not responding to a notice will trigger recovery proceedings including attachment of bank accounts and property. Resolution Steps — Next 1–6 Months 1 Appeal against an incorrect demand: if the Assessing Officer does not accept your rectification: file an appeal before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) — CIT(A) — within 30 days of the order. Also, before filing the appeal, file a ‘stay of demand’ application with the Assessing Officer concerned and pay the initial deposit required by the AO (generally in the range of 10% to 20% of the amount disputed). 2 For large or complex disputes: approach the Dispute Resolution Committee or Dispute Resolution Panel (DRP) or the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) at the appropriate stage. 3 The ‘Vivad se Vishwas’ scheme (or its current equivalent) offers settlement of pending disputes at a reduced liability — check the IT portal for current availability. 4 Once the demand is resolved: ensure the IT portal reflects the correct outstanding as nil. Obtain an ‘Intimation under Section 143(1)’ showing nil demand as documentary proof. 5 Update your advance tax schedule for future years: if the demand arose from shortfall in advance tax, revise your quarterly advance tax payments going forward. Prevention — Stay Compliant, Stay Safe ✓ File your ITR on time every year — late filing attracts penalties, increases scrutiny risk, and limits your ability to carry forward losses. ✓ Reconcile your Form 26AS and AIS with your ITR before filing — most 143(1) demands arise from mismatches that a 15-minute check would have caught. ✓ Pay advance tax quarterly if your tax liability exceeds ₹10,000 — this avoids Section 234B and 234C interest. ✓ Keep all investment, income, and deduction proofs for 7 years — the IT department can issue notices for up to 6 assessment years in most cases. ✓ Use a CA for ITR filing if you have multiple income sources, capital gains, foreign income, or business income — the complexity multiplies and so does the risk of errors. Watch Video Guide Your browser does not support the video tag. Your Rights Under the Income Tax Act, you have the right to be heard before any assessment is finalised (principles of natural justice). You have the right to appeal at multiple levels: CIT(A), ITAT, High Court, and Supreme Court. Interest under Section 244A is payable to you by the government on tax refunds delayed beyond specified periods. The department cannot initiate coercive recovery while an appeal is pending and a stay of demand has been granted. Key Contacts & Portals Who / What Contact / Action Income Tax Portal incometax.gov.in — for all notices, responses, and payments IT Helpline 1800 103 0025 (toll-free) IT Aaykar Sampark Kendra 0124-2438000 Who / What Contact / Action CIT (Appeals) Your jurisdictional CIT(A) — for filing appeals Tax Ombudsman / CBDT cbdt.gov.in — for grievances against tax officials Chartered Accountant ICAI member directory: icai.org — for professional assistance

CIBIL / credit score suddenly dropped Immediate Actions (First 24–48 Hours) Short-term Steps (First 2–4 Weeks) Resolution Steps (Next 1–3 Months) Prevention (For the Future) Immediate Actions — First 24–48 Hours 1 Download your full CIBIL report (not just the score) from cibil.com — the first report is free. Review every account listed: names of lenders, loan amounts, repayment history, and days-past-due entries. 2 Identify what changed: is there a new missed payment recorded? Has a new account appeared that you did not open? Has your credit utilisation spiked? Has a loan been written off or settled? 3 If you see an account you do not recognise: this may be identity theft. Flag it immediately and follow up as an urgent dispute. 4 If you see a missed payment recorded that you believe you made: gather your payment receipt/bank statement and prepare to file a dispute. 5 Note the specific account, lender, and the status shown — ‘DPD 30,’ ‘DPD 60,’ ‘NPA,’ ‘Written Off,’ ‘Settled’ — each requires a different correction approach. Short-Term Steps — First 2–4 Weeks 1 For incorrect payment status: file a dispute on cibil.com with your payment proof. CIBIL has 30 days to investigate and correct the record in coordination with the lender. 2 For a genuine missed payment recently recorded: clear the outstanding immediately, and then write to the lender requesting them to update the bureau record to ‘regular’ — lenders update CIBIL monthly. One updated report can begin reversing the score impact. 3 For high credit utilisation: pay down your credit card balance to below 30% of the credit limit — this alone can recover 30–50 points for many profiles. 4 For a fraudulent account or enquiry: file a dispute on CIBIL and also file a cyber crime complaint for identity theft (Situation 73 in this guide series). 5 Check your reports on other bureaus too — Experian, CRIF HighMark, and Equifax — lenders sometimes report to multiple bureaus and errors can appear on one and not another. Resolution Steps — Next 1–3 Months 1 CIBIL dispute resolution: CIBIL forwards your dispute to the lender, the lender verifies and responds within 30 days, and CIBIL updates the report accordingly. This process typically takes 30–45 days. 2 For disputes rejected by the lender: escalate to the RBI Banking Ombudsman — incorrect credit bureau reporting is a consumer rights issue. 3 CIBIL score recovery timelines: after clearing a genuine default, scores typically recover meaningfully over 12–24 months of consistent on-time payments. There are no overnight fixes for genuine payment history issues. 4 Rebuilding strategy: (a) pay all current dues on time, (b) keep credit utilisation below 30%, (c) do not apply for new credit for 6 months, (d) do not close old accounts — length of credit history is a positive factor. 5 Request a ‘letter of credit clearance’ from lenders where you have cleared dues — this provides documentary evidence of your repayment even before CIBIL is updated. Prevention — Building a Debt-Resilient Financial Life ✓ Check your credit report at least once a year — the first report from each bureau is free. Download from cibil.com, experian.in, crifhighmark.com, and equifax.co.in. ✓ Pay every loan and credit card by the due date — even one day late is recorded as DPD-1 and accumulates in your payment history. ✓ Keep credit utilisation below 30% of total available credit at all times. ✓ Do not apply for multiple loans or credit cards in quick succession — each application generates a ‘hard enquiry’ that temporarily reduces your score. ✓ Monitor for unauthorised credit enquiries on your report — these indicate someone may have applied for credit using your identity. Watch Video Guide Your browser does not support the video tag. Your Rights Under RBI guidelines, credit institutions are required to update credit bureau records accurately and promptly. You have the right to dispute any incorrect information in your credit report, and the bureau and the lender must investigate and correct genuine errors within 30 days. A lender cannot report a payment as overdue if you have a valid receipt of payment. Identity theft leading to fraudulent accounts on your credit report is a criminal matter and must be investigated. Key Contacts & Portals Who / What Contact / Action CIBIL Dispute cibil.com — dispute section — free for registered users Experian India experian.in — for disputes on Experian report CRIF High Mark crifhighmark.com — for disputes on CRIF report Who / What Contact / Action Equifax India equifax.co.in — for disputes on Equifax report RBI Banking Ombudsman crpc.rbi.org.in | 14448 — for lender non-compliance with corrections Cyber Crime Portal cybercrime.gov.in | 1930 — for fraudulent accounts (identity theft)

Endowment / ULIP surrender mid-term Immediate Actions (First 24–48 Hours) Short-term Steps (First 2 Weeks) Resolution Steps (Next 1–3 Months) Prevention (Before You Buy) Immediate Actions — First 24–48 Hours 1 Do NOT surrender impulsively — calculate exactly what you will receive and compare it to the alternatives. 2 Call your insurer and ask for the current ‘surrender value’ or ‘discontinuance value.’ For endowment plans: the guaranteed surrender value (GSV) is 30% of total premiums paid after 3 years, rising with duration. For ULIPs: the fund value minus applicable discontinuance charges. 3 Check the policy year: surrender charges are highest in the first 3–5 years and reduce thereafter. For ULIPs, discontinuance charges cease after 5 years — consider waiting. 4 Explore alternatives to surrender: (a) Premium holiday — some policies allow stopping premiums for a period while the policy remains in force as a paid-up policy. (b) Loan against policy — you can borrow up to 80–90% of the surrender value at 9–11% interest. (c) Reduce coverage — reduce the sum assured and premium to a more affordable level. 5 For ULIPs: check whether you can switch to a more conservative fund (debt fund) rather than surrendering — this preserves the corpus without the surrender charges. Short-Term Steps — First 2 Weeks 1 If surrender is unavoidable: submit the surrender request with original policy document, identity proof, and bank mandate form for payment. 2 Tax implications: for endowment policies, maturity proceeds are tax-exempt under Section 10(10D) only if annual premium does not exceed 10% of sum assured (for policies issued after April 2012). Surrender proceeds may be taxable — consult a CA. 3 For ULIPs: premiums paid in excess of ₹2.5 lakh per year are now subject to capital gains tax on maturity/surrender — important to understand before surrendering. 4 Ensure you understand what you are giving up: bonuses accrued in endowment plans may be forfeited on surrender. Get a written breakdown from the insurer. 5 Once surrendered: do not immediately re-invest in a similar product. Evaluate whether your insurance and investment needs are better served by a pure term plan (for coverage) plus a mutual fund (for wealth creation). Resolution Steps — Next 1–3 Months 1 Surrender value is typically credited within 7–15 working days of submission of complete documents. 2 If the surrender value offered is less than what you calculate it should be: ask the insurer for an itemised breakdown — guaranteed surrender value, special surrender value, accrued bonus, and all deductions. 3 If there is a discrepancy: raise a grievance with the insurer and escalate to IRDAI if unresolved. 4 For paid-up conversion (if you stop paying but do not surrender): the sum assured is reduced proportionally. The policy remains in force for the reduced amount until maturity. This is often better than surrender for older policies with substantial bonuses. 5 Review your overall insurance and investment strategy after surrendering — ensure there is no coverage gap. Prevention — Get This Right Before You Need It ✓ Buy only what you understand — if you cannot explain the surrender charges, premium allocation, and fund options in a ULIP to a family member, you should not buy it. ✓ Separate insurance and investment: a term plan for coverage plus a mutual fund SIP for wealth creation is almost always more cost-efficient than an endowment plan or ULIP. ✓ If you already have a ULIP or endowment: review it annually. Do not surrender in the first 5 years — wait for the lock-in period to pass to minimise charges. ✓ Review surrender and paid-up clauses before buying any insurance savings product. Watch Video Guide Your browser does not support the video tag. Your Rights IRDAI regulations require insurers to clearly disclose all surrender charges in the policy document and in the key features document provided at sale. Undisclosed surrender charges can be challenged. After 5 years for ULIPs and after 3 years for most traditional policies, the insurer must allow free partial withdrawals or paid-up conversion on request. Key Contacts & Portals Who / What Contact / Action Your insurer helpline For current surrender value — call before deciding IRDAI Bima Bharosa bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in | 155255 Who / What Contact / Action Insurance Ombudsman irdai.gov.in/web/guest/find-ombudsman IRDAI ULIP Guidelines irdai.gov.in — for ULIP charge transparency rules

KYC fraud — account misused after documents shared Immediate Actions (First 30–60 Minutes) Short-term Steps (First 48–72 Hours) Resolution Steps (Next 2–8 Weeks) Prevention (Never Again) Immediate Actions — First 30–60 Minutes 1 Lock your Aadhaar biometrics immediately on the UIDAI portal (uidai.gov.in) or via the mAadhaar app — this prevents your Aadhaar from being used for biometric authentication. 2 Check your Aadhaar authentication history on uidai.gov.in — it shows where and when your Aadhaar has been used for authentication in the past. 3 If your PAN was shared: check the Income Tax portal (incometax.gov.in) for any returns filed or accounts linked under your PAN that you did not authorise. 4 Call 1930 immediately and report the document misuse. 5 Contact your bank and inform them that your KYC documents may have been compromised — ask them to add an additional verification step for any new account opening or loan application. Short-Term Steps — First 48–72 Hours 1 File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and with the local cyber police station, specifically mentioning identity theft. 2 Check the CKYC registry (ckycreg.in) to see what accounts are linked to your KYC documents — this is the central KYC record that financial institutions use. 3 Run a credit report check on CIBIL, CRIF, Experian, or Equifax — look for any loan applications, credit enquiries, or accounts you did not open. 4 If a bank account was opened in your name fraudulently: report to the bank, to the RBI (crpc.rbi.org.in), and to the police. The bank is responsible for KYC verification failures. 5 Check whether any company has been registered in your name using the MCA portal (mca.gov.in) — search your name and DIN if applicable. Resolution Steps — Next 2–8 Weeks 1 Fraudulent accounts opened in your name must be reported to the bank and the police — the bank has an obligation to close them after investigation. 2 For fraudulent loans taken in your name: file a criminal complaint and notify the lending institution — they must initiate a fraud investigation. Your credit bureau records must be corrected after investigation. 3 CIBIL and other bureaus have a dispute mechanism — file a dispute for any unauthorised enquiries or accounts. Resolution typically takes 30–45 days. 4 If you receive legal notices for loans you did not take: do not ignore them. File a police complaint and respond to the notice through a lawyer to establish your non-involvement. 5 Periodically check your Aadhaar usage, credit reports, and CKYC data — identity fraud often surfaces months after the documents were shared. Prevention — Never Let This Happen Again ✓ Never share KYC documents with anyone who contacts you unsolicited — approach your bank or government office directly if KYC updating is required. ✓ Lock your Aadhaar biometrics as a default — unlock only when you need biometric authentication, then re-lock. ✓ Mask your Aadhaar number when sharing a copy — the last 4 digits are sufficient for most purposes. Use a ‘Masked Aadhaar’ from the UIDAI portal. ✓ Check your Aadhaar authentication history quarterly — it takes 2 minutes and reveals any unauthorised use. ✓ Download your credit report for free from CIBIL once a year — early detection of fraudulent accounts is the best defence. Watch Video Guide Your browser does not support the video tag. Your Rights Identity theft is a criminal offence under Section 66C of the IT Act 2000, punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh. You are not liable for loans or crimes committed using your identity without your knowledge, provided you report them promptly and can demonstrate you were not involved. Financial institutions are required to conduct proper KYC — if they failed to do so and enabled fraud in your name, they bear regulatory liability. Key Contacts & Portals Who / What Contact / Action UIDAI Aadhaar Lock uidai.gov.in or 1947 — lock biometrics immediately Cyber Crime Portal cybercrime.gov.in | 1930 CKYC Registry ckycreg.in — check accounts linked to your KYC RBI Banking Ombudsman crpc.rbi.org.in | 14448 Who / What Contact / Action CIBIL Dispute cibil.com — dispute fraudulent accounts MCA Company Search mca.gov.in — check for companies registered in your name Income Tax Portal incometax.gov.in — check PAN misuse

Job Loss / Termination Immediate Actions (First 24–48 Hours) Short-term Steps (First 2–4 Weeks) Resolution Steps (Next 1–3 Months) Steps to Take Now (Building Resilience) Immediate Actions — First 24–48 Hours 1 Do not sign any document on the day of the termination meeting — separation agreements, NDAs, and severance deed with a ‘full and final settlement’ clause often contain clauses waiving your legal rights in exchange for a one-time payment. Ask for time to review. 2 Request the termination letter in writing immediately — verbal terminations are legally weak but an employer who refuses to give a letter in writing is a signal that the process is irregular. 3 Note exactly what you were told, by whom, and when — date, time, and the words used. This contemporaneous record is important if you dispute the termination. 4 Clarify your notice period entitlement — your employment contract specifies whether you serve the notice period, get paid in lieu of notice (PILON), or are placed on ‘gardening leave.’ Each has different financial implications. 5 Do not return your laptop, access card, or company assets the same day if you have not received the termination letter — secure access to your personal documents (payslips, Form 16, experience letter) before you lose system access. Also, download and preserve: i) last three years’ claims history, ii) E-cards, iii) Group Policy Number, iv) Sum insured details, v) List of dependants covered, and vi) Details of ongoing claims and pre-authorisations. Short-Term Steps — First 2–4 Weeks 1 Calculate your financial runway immediately: add up savings, investments (liquid), and the expected severance / notice pay. Divide by your essential monthly expenses. This number — your runway in months — is the foundation of your plan. 2 Triage your expenses into three buckets: (a) non-negotiable — EMIs, rent, food, utilities; (b) reducible — dining, subscriptions, discretionary; (c) stoppable — large purchases, holidays, non-essential investments. 3 Apply for withdrawal or advance from your EPF immediately if you are not likely to find employment within 2–3 months — you can withdraw up to 75% of EPF balance after one month of unemployment. File for any severance, gratuity (if 5+ years of service), earned leave encashment, and group insurance conversion that you are entitled to. 4 Check whether you have any active Credit Shield Insurance, Loan Protection Insurance, Group Personal Accident Cover with job loss rider, or home-loan-linked unemployment cover. These policies may pay your EMIs for a limited period (typically 3–6 months) in cases of involuntary unemployment due to retrenchment, layoff, company closure, or permanent disability. Claims are generally not payable for voluntary resignation, early retirement, mutual separation, poor performance termination, misconduct, contract expiry, or self-employment income loss. 5 Begin updating your CV, LinkedIn profile, and professional network immediately — the job search clock starts now, not in two months. Resolution Steps — Next 1–3 Months 1 If the termination was illegal (no valid reason, no notice, discriminatory, or in violation of the ID Act process): consult a labour lawyer within 30 days. The Industrial Disputes Act provides remedies including reinstatement or compensation. 2 For workmen under the Industrial Disputes Act: retrenchment requires 1 months’ notice or pay in lieu, retrenchment compensation of 15 days’ wages per year of service, and prior government permission if the company has 100+ workers. 3 For managerial and executive employees (not covered as ‘workmen’ under the ID Act): remedies are through civil courts (breach of contract) or employment tribunals. The employment contract terms govern. 4 File your income tax return for the year of termination — ex-gratia payments and retrenchment compensation have specific tax treatment and deductions. 5 Review and continue health insurance independently — employer group insurance ends with employment. So, immediately explore migration of your employer’s Group Health Insurance (GHI) policy into an individual or family floater policy with the same insurer. Under IRDAI regulations, migration preserves continuity benefits, including credit for completed waiting periods and pre-existing disease waiting period. If migration doesn’t work, buy an individual policy immediately to avoid a coverage gap. Time and system access permitting, download your claims history, policy certificate, and group policy number before your company email and TPA access are disabled. Prevention — Building Resilience Before This Happens ✓ Maintain an emergency fund of 6–12 months of essential expenses in a liquid account — this is the single most important financial preparation for job loss. ✓ Keep your EPF, PPF, and other savings untouched until you need them — their value as a safety net grows with time. ✓ Do not resign impulsively — negotiate an exit if possible. A negotiated exit typically results in better severance, a clean reference, and avoids a ‘terminated’ remark on records. ✓ Keep your professional network active while employed — most jobs are found through networks, not portals. ✓ Review your employment contract every year — understand your notice period, IP clauses, and non-compete terms before you need them. Watch Video Guide Your browser does not support the video tag. Your Rights Under the Industrial Disputes Act 1947, workmen retrenched from establishments with 100+ workers require government permission and must be given 3 months’ notice or pay in lieu. For all workmen: retrenchment compensation of 15 days’ average wages for every completed year of service is mandatory. The ‘last in, first out’ principle applies unless the employer can justify deviation. Illegal retrenchment entitles the workman to reinstatement with full back wages or compensation in lieu. Non-workmen (executives, managers) have rights under their employment contract and can sue for breach of contract. Key Contacts & Portals Who / What Contact / Action Labour Commissioner (State) Search ‘[your state] Labour Commissioner’ — for ID Act complaints Shram Suvidha Portal shramsuvidha.gov.in | 14567 EPFO Unified Portal unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in | 1800 118 005 National Career Service ncs.gov.in — job portal and unemployment assistance Who / What Contact / Action Income Tax (F&F tax queries) incometax.gov.in | 1800 103 0025 Legal Aid nalsa.gov.in | 15100 — for labour law disputes