Reduction of government litigation: departments must report withdrawal status and justify any non-withdrawals by the deadline.
The Board directs zones to implement identified appeal withdrawal in matters before the CESTAT and High Courts, reiterates prior timelines, notes persistent non-withdrawal across many zones, and mandates that each zone submit the latest withdrawn-case figures and detailed reasons for any non-withdrawal for review at the Revenue Secretary's meeting.

Minimum Value Addition requirements expanded to cover silver and platinum jewellery exports, detailing category-specific standards and retroactive applicability.
Amendment to paragraph 4.61 of the Hand Book of Procedures 2015-2020 prescribes category-specific Minimum Value Addition standards for export of gold, silver and platinum jewellery and articles, including plain jewellery, studded jewellery, fully mechanized manufacture, medallions and coins (excluding legal tender), and mechanized findings and mountings, and states these standards apply from 01.04.2015.

Risk management norms mandate stronger margining, uncapped fund contributions and a structured default waterfall to limit market risk.
Strengthened risk management norms require exchanges to set Initial Margins based on an estimated Margin Period of Risk (MPOR) with a minimum of two days and to scale margins by liquidity; increase delivery period margins and withdraw spread-margin benefits before tender or a specified pre-expiry day. Exchanges must apply graduated measures for repeated margin/pay-in shortfalls, impose concentration margins for concentrated positions, use a ranked set of liquidation tools to regain a matched book, differentiate base minimum capital for clearing members by trade type, remove the cap on SGF contributions so exchanges meet quarterly assessed shortfalls in full, and follow a prescribed default waterfall until clearing transfers to clearing corporations.

Income Declaration Scheme protection prevents enquiries into sources of declared income when declaration proof is found during search or survey.
If, during a search or survey, any document is found proving that a declaration under the Income Declaration Scheme was validly filed, including the Department's acknowledgement, no enquiry shall be made by the Department into the sources of undisclosed income or investments in movable or immovable property declared in that valid declaration.

Ship boarding procedures require agents to notify customs, present documents, obtain master feedback, and secure officer endorsement.
Steamer/Shipping Agents must notify the appropriate Customs officer in advance of berthing time and vessel particulars and keep all requisite documents ready for boarding scrutiny; the Master must complete the provided feedback form; Boarding Officers shall endorse commencement of operations by signing the Application for Entry Inward/Arrival Report immediately after boarding completion, and specified grievance contact points and a prohibition on offering compliments to officers are provided.

Risk based selectivity criteria waive PGA NOCs for low risk consignments, with RMS directing checks and restricting manual referrals.
The Single Window Project uses Risk Management System criteria to refer Bills of Entry to PGAs for NOCs; low risk consignments will have PGA NOCs waived with a waiver message printed on the Bill of Entry, and Customs officers must not manually refer waived consignments except with Assistant/Deputy Commissioner approval. The RMS will issue on screen instructions for documentary checks, inspections, and sampling, and Commissioners must notify trade and advise accurate declaration of end use and product details.

Refund delegation clarifies officer authority and approval chain for tax, interest and penalty refunds under VAT rules.
Delegation clarifies administrative authority to grant refunds of tax, interest and penalty paid in excess under the DVAT framework. Officers not below the rank of AVATO may sanction refunds at the lower threshold without further approval, while higher refund bands require zonal in charge, Special Commissioner (Refund), or a Special Commissioners' committee approvals as specified.

Single Window interface delegation for customs clearance of food consignments ensures authorised officers clear imports and follow testing protocols.
The order implements operational procedures under the Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade, directing that SWIFT route food consignments to FSSAI where offices exist while at other locations delegated Authorised Officers or Port Health officers handle clearance; Commissioners must identify delegated locations, ensure officers are authorised, record acceptance or rejection in examination reports, adhere to the FSSAI accredited laboratory list, and organise training on food-safety procedural and legal requirements.

Rebate of State levies on garment exports: exporters may opt for ROSL scheme; CBEC to administer and disburse.
ROSL establishes an optional rebate of State levies on garment exports (Chapters 61,62) administered by CBEC with rates and caps in two schedules; exporters must make an item-level claim cum declaration at shipping bill filing (EDI scheme-code constitutes declaration). Rebate is calculated on FOB using notified rates/caps, processed in parallel with Duty Drawback, automated by Systems Directorate where possible, and paid by PAO subject to Ministry of Textiles budget. Overpayments, non-realisation of export proceeds, or wrongful declarations trigger recovery coordinated with the Textile Commissioner.

Insurance requirement for customs cargo service providers reduced to shorter storage-period, easing bond obligations under HCCAR.
Regulatory amendment reduces the period for calculating the insurance and bond amount required from Customs Cargo Service Providers under Regulation 5(1)(iii) of HCCAR; insurance should be equal to the average value of goods likely to be stored for a shorter average storage period based on projected capacity and clearance/transit times, with the Commissioner of Customs able to specify amounts considering goods already insured, and public notices to be issued for implementation.

Special Advance Authorization scheme establishes export obligation period from date of authorisation and requires online filing.
Introduces a procedural framework for the Special Advance Authorization scheme for apparel and clothing accessories under Chapters 61-62: applications must be filed online, digitally signed, by the IEC holder (including specified offices). A new provision makes listed Handbook provisions applicable to the scheme where consistent. Appendix 4J adds fabrics (including interlining) with an Export Obligation Period measured from the date of issue of the authorisation and subject to further extension under existing Handbook mechanisms.

Special Advance Authorisation scheme restricts imports to fabrics, requires minimum value addition and a pre import actual user condition.
The Special Advance Authorisation Scheme permits online authorisation for exporters of apparel and clothing accessories, limits allowable imports to relevant fabrics including interlining, confines exports to items under Chapters 61 and 62, and requires a minimum value addition of 15%. DGFT EDI will calculate value addition automatically (using FOB exports and CIF imports, treating inputs claiming All Industry Rate drawback as 22% of FOB). Fabric is subject to pre import actual user condition, must be physically incorporated into exports, is non transferable except for permitted job work, and only physical exports fulfil export obligations.

Extension of filing deadline for quarterly VAT returns; payment obligations remain unchanged and e-sign filers exempt from hard copy.
Extension of the deadline for filing online or hard-copy quarterly VAT returns in Form DVAT-16, DVAT-17 and DVAT-48 with required annexures; dealers filing with a digital signature are exempted from submitting hard copy Form DVAT-56. The extension does not change the requirement that tax due be paid in the usual manner under the governing VAT provision.

Removal of mandatory warehousing requires EOUs, STPIs and EHTPs to maintain digital import records and procurement reconciliation.
Notification 44/2016 amends Notification 52/2003 to remove mandatory warehousing and delicence EOUs, STPIs and EHTPs as warehouses effective 13 August 2016; units must maintain digital records of imported goods based on Form A with an audit trail, update records immediately on receipt or removal, provide a monthly digital copy to the proper officer, furnish procurement certificates and bills of entry for reconciliation, and follow commercial documentation and intimation procedures for inter unit transfers.

Price dissemination via electronic channels mandated for commodity derivatives; exchanges must register subscribers and provide free daily service.
SEBI requires commodity derivatives exchanges to register subscribers and disseminate daily derivatives prices free of charge via SMS or other electronic communication facilities. Exchanges may reimburse dissemination expenses from interest on the Investor Protection Fund. The circular supersedes earlier directives on SMS price dissemination and mandates amendments to bye laws, notice to brokers, website publication, and communication of implementation status to SEBI under its investor protection and market development powers.

Trading Hours on commodity derivatives standardized; exchanges must set hours within prescribed limits and adopt common holidays.
SEBI prescribes that commodity derivatives exchanges permit trading Monday through Friday, fix trading hours within prescribed limits for distinct commodity categories with adjustments for international daylight saving, coordinate Muhurat Trading timing, maintain commensurate risk management and infrastructure for trading hours, and determine and notify trading holiday lists (jointly for national exchanges, individually for regional exchanges) within the Negotiable Instruments Act framework; national exchanges may permit evening trading of internationally referencable commodities on trading holidays when international markets are open.

Record preservation requirements: commodity exchanges must adopt securities market retention norms and report implementation to the regulator.
Commodity derivatives exchanges and their members are required to comply with existing securities market recordkeeping norms, including the record retention obligations under the Securities Contract (Regulation) Rules and Broker Regulations. Prior SEBI preservation norms are made applicable to commodity markets; exchanges must amend bye laws, inform and disseminate requirements to members, report implementation to the regulator, and publish the circular, ensuring adherence to the record preservation regime from the stated effective date.

Official contact details requirement: income-tax authorities must include email, telephone, fax to facilitate electronic interface in all taxpayer communications.
Income-tax authorities are directed to invariably mention their official e-mail Ids along with official telephone numbers/fax number in all notices, letters and communications issued to taxpayers to facilitate electronic interface and statutory compliance; supervisory officers must monitor compliance by random verification and furnish missing contact details immediately in time barred scrutiny cases and statutory notices issued during the current financial year.

Admissibility of cenvat credit: unutilized credit in DTA units may transfer on conversion to EOU enabling its use for duty payment.
Admissibility of unutilized cenvat credit on conversion of a DTA unit into an EOU is affirmed; unutilized cenvat credit standing in the books of the DTA unit immediately before conversion is admissible to the resultant EOU. The earlier circular providing for lapse of such credit is withdrawn, and the transfer principle applicable to manufacturers under the cenvat credit framework applies to EOUs, permitting use of cenvat credit for duty payment by EOUs.

Jurisdiction of tax authority: CPC Bengaluru to exercise concurrent powers over electronically filed declarations under the Finance Act.
The Commissioner of Income-tax, Centralized Processing Centre, Bengaluru is designated to exercise concurrent powers and functions over declarations under section 183 of the Finance Act furnished electronically under digital signature and is deemed to be the Principal Commissioner or the Commissioner for purposes of section 186 of the Finance Act in respect of such declarations, centralizing jurisdiction and processing at CPC Bengaluru.