Suspension of Standard Input Output Norms: specified food-product SIONs suspended, exporters may seek Advance Authorisation alternatives.
The Public Notice suspends the Standard Input Output Norms (SIONs) listed at Annexure "A" with immediate effect and directs exporters of the affected food products to apply for benefits under Advance Authorisation pursuant to Para 4.03(b)(ii), 4.03(b)(iii) or 4.03(b)(iv) of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, as applicable.

Automation of Refund Processing requires import refunds only; export refund claims must be filed manually until operational.
Automation of refund application and processing is presently applicable only to import refunds and not to export-related refunds; accordingly the prior public notice is withdrawn and export refund claims must be filed manually until the electronic module for Refunds Other Than IGST is made operational by DG Systems. A fresh public notice will announce implementation, and difficulties should be notified to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Refunds Other than IGST section.

Standard Input Output Norms: new SIONs enable direct Advance Authorisation for specified chemical exports, streamlining export clearance.
Fixation of new SIONs A-3693 and A-3694 under Chemical and Allied Product code 'A' notifies input output ratios: A-3693 links Minoxidil Topical Aerosol 5% (60 gm CAN) to Minoxidil USP (3.06 gm) and A-3694 links Benfotiamine (1 kg) to Thiamine Hydrochloride (0.922 kg); Regional Authorities are authorised to grant Advance Authorisation directly using these norms without referral to the Norms Committee, to expedite and standardise export clearance.

Sea Departure Manifest and Notification mandatory nationwide; filing compliance and support channels required for trade participants.
Pan-India implementation makes Sea Departure Manifest (SDM) and Sea Departure Notification (SDN) mandatory filings for all sea ports under the SCMTR framework. Stakeholders must comply with required message formats and data structures and consult the Message Implementation Guidelines and SCMTR advisories on the designated portal. Onsite and online training sessions are being provided and technical issues should be raised with the prescribed electronic support teams for resolution.

Audit completion period extended for listed GST cases after GSTN technical glitches delayed draft editing and audit progress.
Extension of the period for completion of audit under the proviso to section 65(4) of the West Bengal Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 for selected registered persons for the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 or part thereof. The completion period, earlier extended up to 22 August 2025 or three months from the actual date of commencement, whichever was later, is further extended for thirty-three listed audit cases because technical glitches in the GSTN BO delayed progress and prevented completion within the existing period. The extension applies case-wise as specified in the annexed list and takes immediate effect.

Margin pledge implementation timeline extended to ensure system readiness and compliance by market infrastructures and participants.
Implementation of the circular requiring margins to be given by way of pledge/re-pledge in the depository system is extended from the original effective date to October 10, 2025 to permit depositories to complete system development and testing. Stock Exchanges, Depositories and Clearing Corporations must notify members, publish the circular, implement systems and procedures to ensure compliance, and amend bye-laws, rules and regulations to effect the change; the circular is issued under statutory regulatory powers to protect investors and regulate the securities markets.

Audit de-selection under West Bengal GST follows non-existent place of business finding for a registered person.
One registered person earlier selected for audit under the West Bengal GST regime was deselected for the relevant audit periods because the registered person was found to be non-existent at the declared place of business. The order under section 65 of the WBGST Act, 2017 records that audit was not required for that person and gives immediate effect to the de-selection.

Prosecution exemption for small undisclosed foreign assets: no prosecution where such assets (other than immovable property) fall below prescribed threshold.
The Board directs that prosecution proceedings will not be initiated where penalty is not imposed or imposable in relation to assets (other than immovable property) whose aggregate value does not exceed the prescribed threshold; this amendment aligns the prior instruction with the statutory change and is effective from the date the proviso to the penalty provisions was amended.

RTI officer designation in Bengaluru Customs Zone sets out the appointed information officers and appellate authority for public access matters.
Designation of Central Assistant Public Information Officer, Central Public Information Officer and First Appellate Authority for the Bengaluru Customs Zone under sections 5(1) and 5(2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The notice names the officers appointed for the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Bengaluru, sets out their addresses and contact particulars, and states that the arrangement covers RTI matters within the Bengaluru Customs Zone, including the Office of the Commissioner of Customs (Appeals), Bengaluru.

SCOMET classification guidance requires referral to CBIC Customs-III for technical determination and use of DGFT clarification repository.
Procedures for resolving uncertainty on whether exports fall under SCOMET: consult DGFT's consolidated clarifications repository; if unresolved and exporter or internal resources are insufficient, obtain prior written Commissioner approval and refer the case with full technical documentation to CBIC's Customs-III Single Nodal Point, which will seek DGFT clarification and communicate it to the field. Do not refer SCOMET issues directly to DGFT. A Chartered Engineer certificate is not required for SCOMET classification under the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023.

Debenture trustees: SEBI consolidates rules on registration, due diligence, security monitoring, defaults and investor protections.
SEBI's Master Circular for Debenture Trustees consolidates regulatory requirements: online registration, prior approval for change in control, and board accountability; detailed due diligence duties at appointment and security creation including independent verification, standardized due diligence certificates, and retention of records; mandatory creation, registration and trustee validation of charges before listing; use of a centralised Security and Covenant Monitoring System for asset, covenant and payment tracking with unique Asset IDs; periodic security cover certification and valuation; Recovery Expense Fund mechanics for enforcement expenses; structured investor consent and meeting procedures on default; comprehensive disclosure, reporting, grievance redress and outsourcing/conflict management obligations.

Pre-registration input tax credit requires timely registration applications; delayed applicants cannot claim credit for periods before their application.
Pre-registration Input Tax Credit on stock is available only where a person liable for registration applies within thirty days of the date on which registration liability arises. The claim requires the prescribed electronic declaration in Form GST ITC-01 within the applicable eligibility period. Proper officers must regularly monitor new registrations and reject Input Tax Credit claims for periods before the registration application where the taxpayer applied after the thirty-day registration period.

Special Rupee Vostro Account investment allows non-residents to place rupee surplus in government securities immediately.
Persons resident outside India maintaining a Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA) may invest rupee surplus balances in such accounts in Central Government Securities, including Treasury Bills; operational instructions have been incorporated in the Master Direction on Non-resident Investment in Debt Instruments and the updated Master Direction is issued with immediate effect, with Authorised Dealer Category-I banks to notify their constituents.

Warehouse licenses must be onboarded and monthly returns uploaded via the digital Warehousing Module; manual filing discontinued.
All warehouse licences must be on-boarded into the digital Warehousing Module and monthly returns uploaded through that module; manual filing of monthly returns is discontinued. Technical issues while using the module must be reported to the designated helpdesk email and notified to the issuing officer for resolution.

Write-off of irrecoverable customs arrears is governed through designated committees, defined authority limits, reporting, and prescribed recovery procedures.
Write-off of irrecoverable customs arrears is assigned to designated committees for the respective commissionerates. The committees have full authority to abandon irrecoverable fines and penalties and may write off irrecoverable customs duty up to Rs. 10 lakhs per case, subject to reporting to the next higher authority. Once duty or tax is written off, the associated interest is automatically written off. Proposals must follow the applicable Master Circular on Recovery and Write-Off of Arrears of Revenue and use the prescribed proforma.

Distributor remuneration: SEBI removes prescribed transaction charges requirement, allowing AMCs to remunerate distributors at their discretion.
The circular deletes the Master Circular provisions prescribing transaction charges and the minimum subscription condition for distributor remuneration, allowing AMCs discretion to remunerate distributors; the deletions take immediate effect and the measure is issued under SEBI's regulatory powers to protect investors and regulate the securities market.

Conversion framework for private listed InvITs aligned with follow-on offer requirements and sponsor unitholding and lock-in obligations.
The circular revises the conversion framework so sponsor(s) and sponsor group(s) must maintain the minimum unitholding specified in Regulation 12(3) and 12(3A) at all times and the lock-in shall follow Regulation 12(5). It also aligns procedure and disclosure for the public issue converting a private listed InvIT with follow-on offer requirements under the InvIT Regulations, substituting terminology and requiring compliance with follow-on offer disclosures and procedures.

Sea cargo manifest compliance requires departure notifications and manifests for exports, replacing export general manifests and linking incentives to filing.
Sea Cargo Manifest and Transshipment Regulations, 2018 require mandatory filing of Sea Departure Manifest and Sea Departure Notification for export cargo at JNPA Port from 18 August 2025. The existing Export General Manifest filing is discontinued from that date, and export incentives are directly linked to successful filing of these revised export messages. Implementation support is available through the SCMTR Cell for operational difficulties.

Joint annual inspection regime for multi-registered market entities to streamline oversight and enable shared enforcement action.
SEBI mandates a joint annual inspection regime where entities with multiple MII registrations are inspected jointly by all relevant MIIs, with Depositories and Clearing Corporations handling DP and clearing activities respectively, and one MII designated as Lead MII to initiate enforcement action. MIIs must establish an information sharing mechanism, adopt a joint SOP detailing inspection criteria and procedures, retain the ability to conduct special purpose inspections based on triggers, and revise bylaws and rules for implementation.

Customs refund automation requires online ICEGATE filing, with manual applications permitted only through recorded written approval.
Customs duty refund applications and disbursals are to be processed electronically through the Customs Automated System. Importers, exporters, customs brokers and other concerned persons must file future refund claims through the ICEGATE portal. Manual refund applications will not be accepted unless the Principal Commissioner or Commissioner of Customs permits manual filing for reasons recorded in writing.