Relaxation of compliance timelines for listed entities extends filing and meeting deadlines due to pandemic.
Temporary extensions allow listed entities additional time to file specified LODR submissions for the quarter/financial year ending March 31, 2020, including compliance certificate on share transfer facility, investor complaints statement, secretarial compliance report, corporate governance report, shareholding pattern and quarterly/annual financial results, with due dates moved by approximately three weeks to one month. A limited exemption relaxes the 120 day maximum gap between board and audit committee meetings for meetings held or proposed between December 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, while preserving the obligation to meet at least four times a year.

Sample testing requirement for imported toys: clearance allowed only with a No Use Undertaking pending test results.
Imported toys must undergo sample testing by nominated NABL accredited laboratories; provisional clearance before test completion is permitted only upon submission and acceptance of a No Use Undertaking preventing sale until successful testing. Shed officers will draw samples for each toy type, records of testing and cancellation of undertakings will be maintained, and failed samples will result in re-export or destruction at the importer's cost.

FDI caps in scheduled air services limited under automatic route; larger foreign airline investment requires government approval.
FDI in Civil Aviation allows automatic foreign investment for airports and specified ancillary services; scheduled air transport remains subject to an automatic route up to a prescribed limit with higher participation requiring Government approval. Foreign airlines may invest in cargo, helicopter and seaplane operators and in air transport companies up to the prescribed ceiling subject to Government approval, SEBI compliance, Indian registration and control requirements, security clearances for foreign nationals, and clearances for imported technical equipment; Air India remains subject to the prescribed cap and Aircraft Rules compliance.

Assessment orders under CST/Delhi: Assessments must be based on Form 9 reconciliations and system verification, not hard-form copies, and follow procedural rules.
Assessing authorities must base default CST assessments on the reconciliation return filed in Form 9 and departmental system data, not on hard-copy statutory forms; verify form authenticity electronically (e.g. TINXSYS); avoid multiple assessments for the same period and reframe orders only where reassessment is necessary and no objection or appeal is pending; frame central assessments only when required to process refunds; and follow applicable procedural rules when exercising special assessment powers, using systems-branch templates and ensuring objections/appeals are admitted only after online filing of form information.

Appeal to Appellate Tribunal now timed from when the Tribunal president assumes office, enabling disposal of pending appeals.
Appeals from adjudicating authority orders must be preferred to the designated appellate authority per rule 109A; appeals from those appellate authorities lie to the Appellate Tribunal under section 112. Because the Appellate Tribunal has not been constituted, the Ninth Removal of Difficulties Order provides that the limitation for filing to the Tribunal will be counted from the date the President or State President of the Appellate Tribunal enters office. Appellate authorities should therefore dispose pending appeals expeditiously and may record in orders that appeals can be filed to the Tribunal within the prescribed period from the President or State President assuming office.

General Information Document requirements: updated GID must be provided to investors and published by lead managers and exchanges.
Mandates for a General Information Document require merchant bankers and lead managers to adopt the specified generic disclosures, include the date of last updation, provide updated copies to investors on request in the requested form and manner, and publish the updated GID on the stock exchange(s) and lead manager(s) websites where issue documents are available; generic information need not be repeated in the abridged prospectus.

Modification of CIRP Forms permitted via online platform; fee waived for an initial period, IPs must ensure accuracy and timeliness.
Feature enables online modification of CIRP Forms (including IP-1) by an insolvency professional under regulation 40B. Sub-regulation (3) requires accuracy and completeness of filed Forms; sub-regulation (4) permits correction or updating by submitting a modified Form on the platform on payment of the applicable fee. The Board has enabled this platform feature and has waived the modification fee until 31st March, 2020. Insolvency professionals are advised to exercise due care and diligence in submissions and file Forms in time to avoid non-compliance consequences.

Global Authorisation for Intra Company Transfers of SCOMET items requires offline applications, quarterly post reporting, and an End Use Certificate.
Notification implements the Global Authorisation for Intra Company Transfers (GAICT) under Para 2.79F by prescribing ANF2O(b) for offline export authorisation applications to DGFT(Hqrs), ANF2O(c) for quarterly post shipment reporting (including nil returns), and Appendix 2S(iv) End Use cum End User Certificate from the foreign parent. The proformae set out required shipment, product, supply chain and supporting documentation, declaratory undertakings and commitments against diversion, WMD use, and permit post shipment verification while imposing compliance obligations under FTP/HBP and related statutes.

ACU settlement currency expansion: participants may settle payments in ACU Dollar, ACU Euro or ACU Yen under FEMA directions.
ACU settlement mechanism now includes ACU Dollar, ACU Euro and ACU Yen, effective March 6, 2020; participants may settle transactions in any of these units and AD Category I banks may open and maintain corresponding ACU Dollar, ACU Euro and ACU Japanese Yen accounts with correspondent banks to settle eligible payments, pursuant to amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations and an amended Memorandum of Procedure for channelling ACU transactions.

Electronic sealing: RFID one-time-locks required for bonded-warehouse movements with mandatory data capture and tamper protocols.
Electronic sealing for bonded-warehouse movements mandates RFID One-Time-Locks (RFID OTL) sourced from CBIC-listed vendors, conforming to specified ISO and UHF standards with unique vendor-branded serials. Licencees must procure readers and seals, capture prescribed data elements (IEC, entry/shipping bill, RFID number, sealing date/time, container/vehicle registration, warehouse and customs codes) in a web application, and match warehouse codes at out-of-charge. Tamper detection requires examination and refusal to unload; RFID trip reports constitute arrival acknowledgement. Exceptions and Commissioner-authorised dispensations are permitted.

Electronic sealing: RFID one-time-locks required for bonded warehouse movements, with specified data capture and scanning procedures.
Use of RFID One-Time-Lock (RFID OTL) is mandated for goods moved to or from Customs bonded warehouses where regulations require a one-time-lock. Importers, owners and warehouse licencees must use RFID seals from CBIC-listed vendors conforming to specified ISO standards; vendors must self-certify conformity and link seal TID numbers to warehouse codes. Licencees must procure readers and provide or procure seals; a web application will capture defined data elements and destination scanning will generate a trip report to satisfy statutory acknowledgement and trigger tamper protocols.

Electronic sealing implementation deferred; new commencement date set and vendors directed to report operational difficulties.
The implementation date for mandatory electronic sealing for deposit and removal of goods from customs bonded warehouses has been deferred in response to representations from e-seal vendors; a new commencement date for the relevant circular has been fixed and stakeholders are asked to report any operational difficulties to the Board.

Customs pass issuance for H, G and Self categories: required documents, transfer rules, verification, and processing timelines.
Issuance of H, G and Self category customs identity cards under regulation 13 CBLR 2018 requires category specific documentary files for Fresh, Transfer, Renewal and Duplicate applications, including attestation form, Form H, educational proof, Aadhaar/PAN, ICEGATE registration, appointment letter, business volume, GST, residential proof, undertakings, and police/CID verification; G requires G exam result and Self requires IEC documentation. Transfers need cancellation from prior employer and affidavit plus police verification if gap exceeds six months. Deficiency memos issued within 15 working days; cards issued within 45 working days. Cards valid five years and must be surrendered on termination.

GST system roadmap advances: IT fixes, staged return linkages, selective rate rationalisation, and deferred e invoicing and QR rollouts.
The Council reviewed GST portal performance and accepted a staged IT remediation and incremental returns roadmap linking GSTR 1 invoice data to GSTR 3B, automating ITC matching and enabling invoice data for MSME lending; it agreed resource augmentation and nearer timelines. It approved fitment changes raising mobile phones and parts to 18% and harmonising matches to 12%, deferred other inversion corrections, extended continuation of current return system with transitional linkage work, deferred e invoicing and dynamic QR implementation with exemptions, raised the GSTR 9C threshold for relief, approved multiple law and rule amendments including net interest calculation and Aadhaar authentication for new registrations, and sanctioned tribunal bench creation and various administrative measures.

Duty scrip payment option enabled for Project Imports, allowing scrip use and revision of duty challans upon officer authorisation.
System now permits debiting customs duty through duty scrips for Project Import Bills of Entry via a DEPB License Management option in the APR role. Filers must lodge Bills of Entry quoting the Project Import license; before duty payment the importer or broker presents scrip details and amount to the customs officer, who enables scrip payment in the system and causes the duty challan to be revised for any remaining duty.

Duty scrips option for project imports permits duties to be paid through scrips upon customs officer approval.
System permits use of Duty Scrips for payment of customs duties on Project Import Bills of Entry via the DEPB License Management option in the APR role. Importers/CBs file BEs quoting the Project Imports license; before duty payment they present scrip details and amount to be debited to the customs officer, who may authorise scrip debit and cause the system to revise the duty challan for any remaining balance.

Fast-track rights issue eligibility tightened with specified listing, disclosure, complaint and audit qualification conditions for InvITs.
Introduces a fast-track rights issue option for listed InvITs subject to detailed eligibility criteria (listing tenure, dematerialisation, minimum public market capitalisation, disclosure compliance, investor complaint redressal, absence of regulatory prosecutions or settlements, no trading suspensions or audit qualifications, and no lead banker conflicts), requires filing a letter of offer and paying fees, mandates statutory-auditor-certified pro forma financials where material asset transactions occur after the last disclosed period, specifies sponsor lock-in regimes for preferential/institutional placements, and requires lead merchant bankers to ensure financial particulars are current within six months.

Fast track rights issue eligibility clarified for listed REITs; adds compliance, disclosure and lock-in rules.
A new fast track rights issue route requires listed REITs to satisfy specified eligibility conditions immediately prior to the record date (including listing tenure, dematerialisation, minimum public market capitalisation, listing and disclosure compliance, investor complaint redressal, absence of regulatory or disciplinary actions and audit qualifications, sponsor subscription, and no lead banker conflicts). REITs using fast track must file the letter of offer and pay fees under REIT Regulations. Preferential and institutional placement rules amend sponsor lock-in, require pro forma audited financials for post-disclosure material asset changes and ensure placement financials are recent.

Disruption response: banks to create assistance cells, accept self-certification, and insurers to cover shipment delay losses.
Department of Financial Services directed Public Sector Banks to set up special assistance cells for industry segments and MSMEs affected by coronavirus, require banks to convey document/procedural requirements in one communication and accept self-certifications where applicable to facilitate remittances, and to identify and support import substitution and production ramp-up. DFS also asked the insurance regulator to review and permit modification of insurance products to cover losses from abnormal shipment delivery delays.

Electronic sealing by RFID OTLs mandated for bonded warehouse movements, with data capture and tamper-response procedures.
Extension of RFID-based electronic sealing is mandated for goods deposited in and removed from customs bonded warehouses where one-time locks are prescribed. Importers/owners must use RFID anti-tamper one-time-locks from CBIC-listed vendors meeting ISO 17712:2013 and ISO/IEC 18000-6 Class 1 Gen2 standards; vendors must submit certifications, capture TID and link warehouse codes. Licensees must procure readers; specified data elements (IEC, bill of entry/shipping bill, RFID OTL number, sealing date/time, container/vehicle identifiers, warehouse and customs codes) must be uploaded. Tampered seals trigger examination or denial of unloading; exceptions and commissioner discretion are preserved. Effective 15 March 2020.