Non-compete prohibition in brownfield FDI restricts contractual restraints while preserving existing pharma FDI policy.
The policy continues to permit foreign direct investment in both brownfield and greenfield pharmaceutical projects, with the specific operative condition that brownfield FDI must not include any non-compete clause in inter se agreements; other policy parameters remain as before.

Proposal submission deadline extended for NJRS RFP; proposals now due at 14:00 on 11 December 2013.
The proposal submission deadline for the Request for Proposal to select an Implementation Agency for the National Judicial Reference System is extended; proposals must now be received by 14:00 hrs on 11 December 2013, constituting the final administrative change to the procurement timetable.

Voluntary Compliance Scheme clarifications require prompt acceptance of declarations and narrow rejection only where inquiries or audits cover the same period or issue.
Designated authorities must promptly accept and acknowledge VCES declarations, assist in curing defects, and avoid returning declarations; rejections under section 106(2) are limited to declarations that relate to the specific period or issue subject to an inquiry, investigation or audit pending on the cut-off date, and notices of intention to reject must be issued within the prescribed timeline. Payments made after scheme commencement but before filing may be included in later declarations provided Cenvat credit was not used; declarations are impermissible where no tax dues remain.

International cooperation in competition law urged to uphold transparency and non-discrimination, fostering consumer welfare and innovation.
Speakers at the 3rd BRICS International Competition Conference urged strengthening international cooperation in competition law and coordination through multilateral fora, asserting that the legitimacy of competition authorities depends on transparency and non-discrimination. Delegates stressed competition enforcement combined with advocacy to secure pro-competitive government policies and emphasised the link between competitive markets, consumer welfare and innovation.

International cooperation in competition law formalises BRICS authorities' commitment to technical cooperation and policy information exchange under the Delhi Accord
The Delhi Accord formalises BRICS competition authorities' commitment to international cooperation in competition law through mutual trust, technical cooperation, and regular interagency communication. It emphasises exchanging views on competition policy, strengthening enforcement capacity via technical assistance, recommending publication of Third BRICS ICC materials for advocacy on member websites, and endorsing a subsequent BRICS International Competition Conference to sustain collaboration.

International competition cooperation establishes voluntary exchange and coordination to address cross border enforcement impacts.
The MoU establishes a voluntary framework for cooperation in competition law enforcement, including exchange of non confidential information and views on policy, operational issues, multilateral initiatives, advocacy and technical cooperation; it provides for meetings to discuss developments and sectoral competition environments and contemplates mutual assistance and coordination whereby one Side may request the other to initiate enforcement action under its law and both shall seek to minimise adverse cross border effects of enforcement.

Competition enforcement cooperation promotes regulatory collaboration and agreement signing among emerging economies to address agency design, state enterprises, procurement
The conference advances competition enforcement cooperation through thematic discussions on agency design, enforcement involving state owned enterprises, public procurement, and competition culture, supplemented by experience sharing on competition's role in innovation. Operatively, participants will formalise cooperation by executing a memorandum of understanding with a regional partner and signing a multilateral accord among the participating competition authorities to strengthen cross border enforcement dialogue and technical cooperation.

Wholesale price inflation signals broader cost pressures as fuel, minerals and manufactured goods indices rise month over month.
WPI for all commodities rose to 180.3 in October 2013 with annual inflation at 7.00 percent. Primary Articles were unchanged overall with mixed food, non food and mineral movements; Fuel & Power increased due to higher electricity and select fuels despite declines in petrol and furnace oil; Manufactured Products edged up driven by textiles, paper, metals, machinery and transport equipment while some food products and leather declined. Detailed subgroup and item level percent changes and build up inflation from March are provided to show sectoral contributions to headline WPI inflation.

Six-laning of national highway under NHDP Phase II approved to proceed on EPC, streamlining infrastructure and travel.
Approval has been granted for six laning the Jalandhar-Amritsar section of National Highway 1 under NHDP Phase II on an EPC basis, covering approximately 20 km and including land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation, and other pre construction activities, with an estimated project cost to address these components.

Preponement of auction date moves government securities auction earlier due to official holiday change and preserves other auction terms.
Preponement of the auction date for four GoI dated securities aggregating Rs. 15,000 crore from November 15, 2013 to November 14, 2013 following a state holiday change; the November 11, 2013 notifications F.No.4(2)W&M/2013 and its three indexed counterparts are modified accordingly, while all other terms and conditions of the auction remain unchanged.

Press registration reform seeks stakeholder submissions on a revised bill to modernise print media regulation and recordkeeping.
The Ministry has uploaded a revised bill proposing amendments to the Press and Registration of Books Act to modernise regulation of printing presses and publications and has invited written suggestions from stakeholders to the Media Unit Cell contact; the notice provides procedural contact details and states that no response within the prescribed period will be presumed as agreement with the proposed amendments.

Coastal disaster resilience financing strengthens community preparedness, infrastructure, fisheries safety, and institutional risk response capacity.
The Governments of India, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry signed financing and project agreements with the World Bank to fund a Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project aimed at increasing coastal community resilience to hydro meteorological and geophysical hazards and improving implementing entities' crisis response capacity. The project comprises five components: Vulnerability Reduction; Sustainable Fisheries; Capacity Building in Disaster Risk Management; Implementation Support; and Contingency Emergency Response. It targets about 150 coastal villages, over 17,000 families for resilient housing, and broader beneficiaries through disaster management curriculum, and is financed as a Specific Investment Loan over five years, implemented by the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Trade deficit narrows as exports rise and imports fall, driven by non oil import contraction and steady oil imports.
Exports rose in October 2013 and cumulatively for April-October 2013-14 in both dollar and rupee terms, while imports declined in dollar terms for October and cumulatively; oil imports edged up year-on-year but non-oil imports fell substantially, resulting in a narrower April-October trade deficit compared with the same period in the prior year.

Asia Europe partnership should be strengthened to deliver tangible cooperation and broader civil society engagement for shared development.
The address urges optimisation of ASEM to produce tangible cooperation by expanding engagement beyond diplomatic channels to include civil society, industry and media; it links collective action to improved responses to global challenges and calls for translating dialogue into implementable deliverables that leverage Asia's emerging markets and Europe's technological capacities to advance development priorities and strengthen people to people ties.

Diplomatic meeting scheduled: Commerce Minister to meet Norway's Foreign Minister at Udyog Bhawan; media invited for coverage.
A ministerial meeting is scheduled between the Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, with an explicit invitation extended to accredited media for visual coverage at Room Number 45, Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi; the press notice requests media attendance and release of a PIB photograph.

Follow-on public offer approved for Power Grid to raise funds for capital expenditure and meet equity contribution norms.
Approval of a Follow-on Public Offer for Power Grid Corporation authorizes issuance and sale of equity equal to 17 percent of existing paid-up capital, comprising a fresh issue to raise resources for capital expenditure and an offer for sale by the President of India. The proceeds will finance PGCIL's investment programme over the next two financial years and support compliance with regulated equity contribution norms; implementation will follow upon receipt of necessary approvals in accordance with terms and conditions.

Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme enables service tax defaulters to regularise liabilities without interest or penalty.
The communication announces stakeholder meetings to explain the Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme (VCES) 2013, a one time amnesty allowing service tax defaulters to declare and pay outstanding liabilities for the specified historical period without interest or penalty, and to clarify eligibility, declaration and payment procedures under the scheme.

Anticompetitive boycott found under competition law led to a regulatory penalty and a cease-and-desist directive.
The authority found that the association's organised boycott of specified film releases constituted a horizontal anticompetitive agreement restricting market access in the film exhibition market; it imposed a monetary sanction calculated with reference to the association's average turnover and directed the association to cease the anticompetitive conduct and comply with deposit timelines.

International cooperation agreement enables joint academic programmes and targeted capacity building in media and communication training.
An International Cooperation Agreement establishes a five-year framework for academic and research collaboration between the two institutions, including joint programme development, a collaborative doctoral programme, ICT integration in curricula, joint academic activities, and reciprocal exchanges. It creates a training strand to build capacity of senior and mid-level information officers in modern technology and social media for government communication. The agreement includes a review six months before expiry and allows renewal by mutual agreement.