FPI debt limits revised, merging sub limits into corporate debt limit and including coupon holdings in government debt cap.
Revises FPI investment ceilings in central government securities, SDL and corporate debt for 2018-19 by raising specified upper caps and consolidating sub limits. Eliminates the long term FPI infrastructure sub limit and discontinues corporate bond sub categories, merging allocations into a single Corporate Debt Investment Limit (CDIL). Coupon investment in government securities will be included within the Government Debt - General cap for limit resets, with existing coupon stock added to utilization. Existing allocation and monitoring conditions continue and operational guidance will follow.

Performance disclosure post-merger requires weighted average or retained-scheme performance, with non-retained past records available on request.
Where merged schemes retain common features, disclose the weighted average performance. If one scheme's features are retained, disclose the performance of the scheme whose features are retained. If a new scheme with different features emerges, past performance need not be provided. Past performance of non-retained schemes may be made available on request with an adequate disclaimer. These disclosure standards are mandated to standardize post-merger performance presentation and protect investors under SEBI's regulatory authority.

CFS Gate Module compliance requires accurate IGM declarations, authorised container movements, bond accounting, and regularisation of system-related exceptions.
CFS Gate Module operations require Main Line Operators, shipping lines and steamer agents to declare the selected CFS code and bond number in the IGM where the importer or Customs Broker has timely communicated its CFS choice. Missing or incorrect particulars require approved IGM amendment, with importer or Customs Broker consent required for correction of an incorrect CFS. ICES auto-generates movement orders and debits bonds where declarations are correct. System-related manual movement permissions must be recorded and later regularised. Movement to a CFS other than the importer-selected CFS, or omission of CFS and bond details, is treated as an offence.

Role assignment procedure for BPU access to comprehensive PAN view requires posting order and taking charge confirmation.
Procedure requires RCC Admin to assign BPU roles in ITBA only after receiving the officer's posting order from the competent authority and confirmation that the officer has taken charge (taking over report), and to revoke the previous incumbent's BPU role on new postings; assigned BPU users may access the 360 view screen showing PAN details, ITR history, processing, tax payment, TDS, ITS and e-filed non ITR forms.

All Industry Rates of Duty Drawback under review; industry must submit specified input, duty and cost data for exports.
The Government seeks data to review All Industry Rates (AIR) of Duty Drawback for 2018, limited to Customs duty on inputs and Central Excise on specified petroleum products. Export Promotion Councils and industry bodies must submit product wise Proformas I(A)/(B), II and III for exports Oct 2017-Mar 2018 showing input consumption, duty incidence, per unit cost breakdown, FOB realizations and captive power details. Data must cover at least five manufacturer units, be certified by the manufacturer and its Chartered/Cost Accountant, supported by bills/shipping/ invoices, and suppliers must permit inspection for verification.

Liberalised Remittance Scheme monitoring: daily transaction reporting by authorised dealer banks required to ensure compliance and access across banks.
Liberalised Remittance Scheme monitoring requires AD Category I banks to upload daily, transaction wise LRS information at the close of business of the next working day, or a Nil report if no data exists, as a CSV file via the prescribed XBRL portal; the reports will be accessible to other ADs to improve monitoring and ensure adherence to LRS limits under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Authority for Advance Ruling established for Daman & Diu; appellate authority designated under GST appellate framework.
An Authority for Advance Ruling is constituted for Daman & Diu with one nominated member each from CGST and UTGST, located at 6th Floor, Fortune Square, Vapi Daman Road, Chala, Vapi, Gujarat, to perform functions under the CGST Act and UTGST Act. The Chief Commissioner, CGST & Central Excise, Vadodara Zone, is nominated as the Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling; the Appellate Authority shall comprise the Chief Commissioner of central tax designated by the Board and the Commissioner of Union Territory tax having jurisdiction over the applicant.

Importer Exporter Code status facility launched to verify IEC transmission to customs and advise corrective steps to users.
An online facility allows applicants to check IEC application status and IEC transmission to ICEGATE using PAN and the first three letters of the firm name. The notice prescribes actions for four status outcomes: wait for Regional Authority processing when received; resubmit after rectifying deficiencies if rejected (no additional fee); await ICEGATE acceptance if transmitted but unaccepted; and use IEC only when registered at DGFT and accepted by ICEGATE. Applicants should check ICEGATE's enquiry module and report unresolved transmission problems to DGFT.

IT grievance redressal for GST portal glitches enabling committee-approved remedies and potential waiver of associated penalties.
Establishes an IT Grievance Redressal Committee and nodal officer framework to address common GST portal technical glitches that prevent timely filing; GSTN will identify systemic defects from electronic records, collate taxpayer applications with evidence of bona fide attempts, and forward issues and proposed solutions to the committee. The committee will examine and approve remedies, direct implementation by GSTN and field formations, and may recommend waiver of fines or penalties for filers affected by portal glitches, with such waivers placed before the GST Council.

Physical settlement of stock derivatives mandated in phased manner; enhanced eligibility criteria now determine continuation in derivatives segment.
Physical settlement of stock derivatives is mandated in a phased manner, with the cash market risk management and settlement framework applying when derivatives devolve into physical delivery. An enhanced eligibility criteria-including top 500 ranking by market capitalisation and traded value, a minimum median quarter sigma order size, a market wide position limit, and minimum average daily delivery value measured on rolling six month bases-must be met continuously for six months for stocks to be introduced or remain in the derivatives segment; failure to meet specified criteria triggers movement to physical settlement and potential exit.

Classification of solar modules depends on diode function: bypass diodes as parts, blocking diodes as machinery for tariff purposes.
Classification of imported solar panels and modules turns on whether incorporated elements control the direction of current or merely protect cells. Bypass diodes divert current around shaded cell strings and thus modules with bypass diodes are classifiable as parts; blocking diodes prevent reverse power flow by controlling current direction and thus modules with blocking diodes, or with both types, are classifiable as machinery.

E-way bill exemption withdrawn across Uttar Pradesh, ending the statewide dispensation from 15 April 2018.
Withdrawal of the earlier Uttar Pradesh GST notification that had declared the entire State as an area where e-way bill generation was not required for movement of goods from one place to another. The earlier exemption notification had operated from 1 April 2018 until further orders, but it was expressly withdrawn by the Commissioner, Commercial Tax, Uttar Pradesh, with effect from 15 April 2018. The notification thus ends the temporary statewide dispensation from the e-way bill requirement under Rule 138(14)(d) of the Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017.

Delegation of powers assigns hearing of objections to refund-committee orders to the Special Commissioner under DVAT rules.
The Commissioner, under powers conferred by section 68 of the DVAT Act read with rule 48, delegates the authority to hear objections under Section 74(1) against orders of the refund-approval committee concerning high-value refund matters to the officer specified (Special Commissioner), directing that the officer shall exercise those powers and perform attendant duties within their respective jurisdiction with immediate effect.

High-value tax refunds oversight delegated to a Refund Approval Committee with specified member nominations for administrative approval.
The order designates named Special Commissioners as members and the concerned Zonal Incharge as Member Secretary of the Refund Approval Committee, empowering that committee to consider and approve large VAT refund claims in accordance with prior departmental orders that established and subsequently modified the committee's remit, thereby formalising the administrative mechanism for centralized vetting of substantial refund applications.

E-waybill requirement reinstated for intra-state goods movement, mandating e-waybill generation where the prescribed value threshold is exceeded.
The notification rescinds a prior exemption and makes generation of e-waybill mandatory for intra-state movement of goods above the prescribed value threshold, aligning intra-state obligations with inter-state e-waybill requirements and preserving only those exemptions granted under the Andhra Pradesh GST Act and Rules; the change takes effect from 15-4-2018.

No e-way bill requirement for intra-state movement of goods in Andhra Pradesh effective from April 1, 2018.
The Chief Commissioner of State Tax, under clause (d) of sub rule 14 of rule 138 of the Andhra Pradesh GST Rules, 2017, notified that no e-way bill is required to be generated for intra-state movement of any goods of any value in Andhra Pradesh with effect from 1 April 2018, until further orders.

IT grievance redressal mechanism enables remediation of GST portal technical failures and recommends waivers and procedural fixes.
An IT Grievance Redressal Mechanism empowers GSTN, aided by appointed nodal officers, to identify portal-wide technical failures that prevent groups of taxpayers from filing statutory forms or returns. GSTN will collate bonafide-attempt evidence, propose solutions to the GST Implementation Committee (acting as the IT-Grievance Redressal Committee), and implement approved fixes. The Committee can recommend waiver of fines or penalties in mitigation and prescribe specific remediation for stuck TRAN-1s, allowing completion without amendment of recorded credit and coordinating field verification and taxpayer communications.

IT grievance redressal mechanism enables remediation for taxpayers affected by GST portal technical glitches, including filing and penalty waiver procedures.
An IT Grievance Redressal Mechanism addresses systemic GST Common Portal glitches that prevent classes of taxpayers from filing returns or forms; nodal officers and GSTN gather applications and evidence of bonafide attempts, GSTN identifies systemic issues and forwards suggested solutions to the GIC acting as the IT-Grievance Redressal Committee, which may approve remedies, direct implementation, and recommend waiver of fines or penalties to the Government in emergencies, with non-emergency waiver proposals placed before the GST Council.

Clubbing of investment limits: foreign government-linked investors' holdings must be combined, with supervisory reporting and mandated divestment or conversion.
Foreign Governments and related FPIs are subject to a ten percent cap per company, with entities treated as an investor group and their holdings clubbed where common beneficial owners hold more than fifty percent across FPIs; beneficial ownership is determined under Rule 9 of the PMLA Rules. DDPs must ascertain group status at registration, FPIs must disclose investor group information, and custodians/depositories (via NSDL) monitor aggregate holdings. Breaches require divestment within five trading days or conversion to FDI upon immediate notice to SEBI and RBI.

Beneficial owner identification standards tightened for foreign portfolio investors, with thresholds, KYC reviews and compliance timelines.
Beneficial Owners of FPIs must be identified per PMLA Rules: for companies/trusts on ownership (25%) and control bases, for partnerships/unincorporated associations on ownership (15%), with an optional 10% threshold for FPIs from high risk jurisdictions. Apply materiality at the FPI level and then look through material owners; if none, senior managing official is BO. BOs must not be nominees, on UN sanctions lists, or from FATF-deficient jurisdictions. Category II/III FPIs must certify and submit a specified BO list within six months; NRIs/OCIs and resident Indians cannot be BOs. FPIs must not issue or hold bearer shares and must complete periodic risk-based KYC reviews (annual for high risk, triennial for others).