Plant quarantine enforcement: mandatory inspection of unsolicited seed parcels to prevent introduction of invasive pests and pathogens.
No parcel of any seed shall be released without proper and thorough inspection under the Plant Quarantine regulatory framework to prevent entry of new pests and diseases; special vigilance is required for consignments arriving by courier or postal services. This Public Notice operates as a standing order for customs officers and staff and must be strictly complied with.

Verification of certificates of origin: importer due diligence and CAROTAR procedures required for preferential tariff claims.
Section 28DA and CAROTAR, 2020 require importers to retain prescribed minimum information demonstrating how goods satisfy Rules of Origin, and impose on importers a continuing duty to exercise reasonable care regarding the accuracy and truthfulness of origin claims. Before seeking verification from partner countries, officers should first obtain information from importers under the CAROTAR procedures; verification requests to exporting-country authorities must follow prescribed SOPs, include representative CoOs and full documentary evidence, be approved by the jurisdictional Principal Commissioner/Commissioner, and be routed through the Board's designated nodal point.

Electronic office adoption requires migration to e-Office, electronic file creation, and prohibits physical files without concurrence.
Adoption of the e-Office application is mandatory for the Commissionerate: new files must be opened electronically, legacy files must be migrated on priority, and physical files shall not be opened without the undersigned's concurrence. Training materials and learning resources are available on the application portal and NIC links, and the Central Secretariat Manual on e-Office Procedure is recommended for guidance. Difficulties in implementation should be reported to the undersigned.

Interest recovery on net cash tax liability directed for uniform GST implementation within the existing legal framework.
Administrative instructions were issued for recovery of interest on net cash tax liability with effect from 01.07.2017, to be implemented in the true spirit of the GST Council decision and within the existing legal framework. Officers were directed to follow the instructions contained in the Department of Revenue, GST Policy Wing letter dated 18 September 2020 for uniform implementation of the GST Act.

e-Office adoption fosters paperless government communications, requiring searchable PDF submissions and contact details for electronic acknowledgement.
e-Office implementation in the Principal Commissioner of Customs, Visakhapatnam establishes a paperless platform to conduct departmental work electronically, aiming to increase efficiency, transparency, accountability and data security. Taxpayers are requested to submit electronic communications as searchable PDFs and to include mobile numbers and email addresses to receive immediate acknowledgements and a Diary Number for future reference.

Segregated portfolio trigger date set as restructuring proposal; immediate reporting obligations and temporary applicability until year-end.
The date an AMC receives a proposal for debt restructuring shall be treated as the trigger date for creation of a segregated portfolio; AMCs must immediately report such proposals to Valuation Agencies, Credit Rating Agencies, Debenture Trustees and AMFI, which will disseminate the information to members; other provisions of prior SEBI circulars on segregation and the Prudential Framework remain applicable; the modification is effective immediately for a temporary period and issued under Section 11(1) of the SEBI Act read with Regulation 77.

Margin pledge disclosures dispensed for securities pledged with brokers as collateral, simplifying reporting for ordinary margin arrangements.
SEBI dispensed with the requirement under the Takeover disclosure regime to treat shares encumbered with Trading Members or Clearing Members as acquisitions/disposals for disclosure where such securities are accepted as collateral for margin obligations by way of a margin pledge created in the depository system, aligning with prior guidance that collateral be accepted only via depository-based margin pledges and intended to simplify ordinary course stockbroking collateral practices.

Digital Office Implementation: e-Office launched; taxpayers should submit searchable PDF communications with contact details for electronic acknowledgement.
The Airport & ACC Commissionerate has launched the e-Office application to create a paperless, secure and transparent processing environment; stakeholders are directed to submit communications electronically in searchable PDF format, include mobile and email contact details to receive immediate acknowledgement and a Diary Number for reference, and trade bodies are asked to circulate the notice and report any difficulties or suggestions.

Revisional Authority authorisation under GST expands jurisdiction-specific revision powers for designated tax officers immediately.
Officers of the Commercial Taxes administration are authorised to act as Revisional Authority under the West Bengal Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 for the jurisdictions specified in the table. The authorisation covers revision of orders or decisions passed by subordinate officers within the stated jurisdictional areas and also orders passed by other State Tax authorities relating to persons or registered taxable persons within those jurisdictions. The order modifies earlier revision authorisations and takes immediate effect, while preserving actions already initiated under previous authorisation.

Transparency in debt and money market transactions: require daily, downloadable disclosures with a shortened public time lag.
Mutual funds, AMCs, trustees and boards of trustees must disclose daily details of debt and money market securities transactions, including inter-scheme transfers, in the revised Annexure A format with a 15-day time lag. Disclosures must be comparable, downloadable as a spreadsheet and machine readable. The requirement takes effect October 1, 2020, and is issued under the regulator's powers to protect investor interests and regulate the securities market.

Re-validation policy for SCOMET technology exports: one-time six-month extension for qualifying expiring authorizations; future validity fixed.
Revalidation for SCOMET export authorizations was previously permitted in six month increments up to twelve months, with leftover export obligation as a ground. Export obligations for technology/software transfers cannot be quantified in item or value terms; therefore revalidation for such authorizations is not to be considered. As a one time relief, a single six month extension will be granted for SCOMET technology transfer authorizations expiring by 30.09.2020 upon prescribed application to DGFT(Hqrs). Going forward, validity for technology/software transfer authorizations shall be twenty four months or as per Para 2.16 of HBP FTP 2015 20, with no further revalidation.

Export controls on N-95/FFP2 masks: limited quota with online manufacturer licences requiring strict documentary proof.
DGFT restricts export of N-95/FFP2 masks to a limited allocation and mandates online applications via the DGFT ECOM system within specified dates. Only manufacturer-exporters may apply; applications are examined per the Handbook of Procedures. Licences issued have a short fixed validity. Eligibility requires documentary proof of manufacture, BIS certification for medical masks, one application per IEC, IEC copy, and purchase order/invoice, all self-attested. Incomplete or untimely submissions will be rejected.

Default recognition relief for COVID-19-related debt restructuring allows credit rating agencies to withhold default classification with disclosure.
Credit rating agencies may, if in their assessment restructuring is solely due to COVID-19-related stress or under the designated resolution framework, refrain from recognizing such restructuring as a default, provided they make appropriate disclosure in the press release; this relaxation is extended until December 31, 2020.

Temporary relaxation for FPIs continues where lockdowns persist, with in transit applications processed under prior circular.
Temporary processing relaxations for Foreign Portfolio Investors are extended for entities located in jurisdictions still under COVID 19 lockdown until such lockdowns are lifted; in transit applications will be processed per the March 30 circular, while entities in jurisdictions where lockdowns have been lifted are not eligible for the relief. All other terms of the March 30 circular remain in force, and Designated Depository Participants and custodians are instructed to inform their FPI clients. The extension is issued under the regulator's statutory powers and anti money laundering record rules.

Information sharing: IT return filing status to be furnished to scheduled commercial banks under section 138 of Income tax Act.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes designates the Principal Director General of Income tax (Systems) as the specified income tax authority empowered to furnish to Scheduled Commercial Banks the taxpayers' IT return filing status; the Principal DGIT (Systems) must notify the procedure and format for providing this information after obtaining CBDT approval and forward a copy of the notification to the issuing division.

Charge prohibition on prescribed electronic modes requires banks to cease levies and refund any charges collected.
The circular reiterates that no bank or system provider may impose any charge, including the Merchant Discount Rate, on payer or beneficiary for payments through prescribed electronic modes notified for compliance; banks must refund charges collected on or after the operative date for such transactions and must not impose charges on future transactions using those prescribed modes.

Appellate Authority authorisation under GST law for specified State Tax officers across designated jurisdictional circles and units.
Officers of the State Tax department were authorised to act as Appellate Authority under section 107 of the West Bengal Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, subject to rule 109A, for appeals arising from orders or decisions of adjudicating authorities within specified jurisdictional circles. The authorisation covered the named officers and their designated areas, including the Large Taxpayer Unit and several territorial circles. The order superseded earlier authorisations relating to appeals under the Act, took immediate effect, and preserved actions already initiated under prior authorisation.

Power of Attorney optional for brokers-limited to exchange settlement transfers and margin pledging; off market transfers need DIS or OTP.
PoA is optional and must not be a condition for account opening; PoAs may only be used to transfer securities for exchange settlement obligations arising from trades executed through the same broker and to pledge/re pledge securities for margin in connection with such trades. Off market transfers require a client signed physical DIS or electronic DIS and depositories must obtain client consent via OTP. Stock exchanges and depositories must amend rules, disseminate the requirements and report implementation; other provisions of earlier SEBI circulars continue to apply.

Extension of compliance timeline for proxy advisors; applicability deferred due to pandemic-related requests and operational constraints.
SEBI has deferred the applicability of its Procedural Guidelines for Proxy Advisors by four months, moving the effective compliance date from early September 2020 to early January 2021, in response to requests from registered proxy advisors and operational disruptions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic; the extension is issued under SEBI's regulatory authority and the circular is published on SEBI's website.

Extension of compliance timeline for proxy adviser procedures and grievance-resolution requirements now operative from January 01, 2021.
The operative compliance date for Procedural Guidelines for Proxy Advisors and the grievance-resolution framework between listed entities and proxy advisers is extended so that both requirements become applicable from January 1, 2021; recognized exchanges must disseminate the circular and the extension is issued under the regulator's statutory powers and listing obligations framework.