The Rajeev Gandhi Equity Scheme is not a social security scheme; rather, it was an investment incentive program designed to encourage small investors to participate in the domestic capital market through tax benefits. In contrast, schemes like the Jan Arogya Scheme and Employees State Insurance Corporation are specifically designed to provide social protection, healthcare, and financial support to eligible citizens and employees.

Tax shifting occurs when the legal taxpayer transfers the economic burden of a tax to another party, typically through price adjustments. For example, a producer may increase the price of a good to pass the cost of an excise tax onto the consumer. This process allows the original taxpayer to avoid the final incidence of the tax.

GAAR stands for General Anti-Avoidance Rules. These are a set of regulations designed to prevent taxpayers from using artificial or contrived arrangements solely for the purpose of avoiding tax liabilities. GAAR empowers tax authorities to deny tax benefits if a transaction lacks commercial substance and is primarily intended to reduce tax burden.

When no DTAA exists, relief is provided under unilateral relief provisions. The taxpayer is entitled to a deduction of the tax paid in the foreign country on the doubly taxed income, limited to the lower of the Indian tax rate or the foreign tax rate. This prevents excessive tax burden on the same income earned abroad.

A person of Indian origin is defined as an individual who, or whose parents or grandparents, were born in undivided India. Even if the individual has acquired foreign citizenship, they retain this status for specific tax and visa purposes under Indian law.

Tax evasion is defined as the illegal non-payment or underpayment of taxes. It involves deliberate misrepresentation of financial affairs to the tax authorities. Since it relies on fraudulent activities and concealment of income, it is inherently an unfair practice. Therefore, the reason provided directly explains why tax evasion is considered an unfair practice.

Tax planning involves arranging financial affairs in a legal manner to minimize tax liability by utilizing available deductions, exemptions, and rebates. It is distinct from tax evasion, which is illegal, and tax avoidance, which often implies exploiting loopholes.

Historically, the Indian tax structure was heavily dependent on indirect taxes like customs and excise duties. The reforms in the 1990s were specifically designed to address this imbalance and modernize the tax regime, making the reason provided a direct and logical explanation for the assertion regarding the historical revenue sources.

In income tax terminology, the 'previous year' is the financial year immediately preceding the assessment year. It is the year in which the income is earned, and the tax on this income is assessed and paid in the following year, known as the assessment year. This distinction is crucial for determining the tax liability period for any given assessee.

The Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a ten-character alphanumeric identifier. The first three characters are alphabetic series, the fourth character represents the status of the taxpayer (e.g., 'P' for individual), and the fifth character is the first letter of the assessee's surname or last name for individuals. Note: The provided answer key suggests 'first name', which conflicts with standard PAN structure rules where the fifth character is the surname.