Grant agreement for sustainable urban bus service projects increases capacity building and demonstration support for reducing transport emissions.
A grant agreement with IBRD acting for the Global Environment Facility will fund an Efficient and Sustainable City Bus Service Project to improve city bus efficiency and attractiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project comprises a national capacity building component implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development and city demonstration projects to upgrade bus services and ancillary infrastructure in specified demonstration cities, funded through the GEF grant together with Government of India and state and city government contributions.

Direct Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme enables declarations for tax arrears within a limited window under notified rules.
The Direct Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2016 went into force on June 1, 2016, providing a statutory window for taxpayers to make declarations for tax arrears and specified tax within the prescribed period, with rules and forms notified to implement the declaration procedure. The Equalisation Levy provisions also commence on June 1, 2016, and the notified rules and forms specify the effectivity date, covered specified services, notice of demand procedure, and related forms for collection and administration of the levy.

Coordinated chairmanship agreement secures consecutive vice chair and chair succession to ensure continuity and institutional strengthening.
Coordinated proposal arranges successive Vice Chair and Chair roles between two partners to provide clear, predictable leadership and continuity, compliant with the amended Administrative Decision for selecting Vice Chair candidates and requiring formal applications after the Chair calls for nominations. The arrangement is justified as a means to avoid conflict and stabilise the Kimberley Process during the upcoming review cycle, and to enable a continuous programme focused on shared priorities.

Bilateral investment cooperation urged as India promotes high investment opportunities and seeks increased Bahraini investments.
Commerce and industry ministers met to advance bilateral economic ties, emphasizing strong bonds and mutual partnership; India's minister highlighted substantial investment opportunities and requested enhanced Bahraini investment into India to promote increased commercial engagement.

E-assessment expansion allows taxpayers in designated cities to opt into paperless scrutiny proceedings with consent.
The e-assessment (paperless, e-mail based) scheme is extended to Hyderabad and Kolkata, permitting taxpayers in these seven cities whose cases are selected for scrutiny to opt into e-mail based paperless assessment by conveying consent to their Assessing Officers; where scanning voluminous documents is impractical, assessing officers may accept physical documents after recording reasons for such physical submission.

Financial restructuring enables HFCL's revival by restoring net worth and facilitating Barauni unit recommissioning.
The Cabinet approved financial restructuring for HFCL comprising waiver of GoI loan and outstanding interest and transfer of 56 acres of Ash Dyke land to settle dues, aimed at restoring HFCL's positive net worth, enabling de-registration from BIFR and facilitating revival of the Barauni urea unit as an anchor for regional gas pipeline and to address eastern India's urea supply deficit.

Foreign investment limit increase approved ex post facto, permitting expanded non resident investment via QIP, ADR/GDR and PIS.
Ex-post facto approval authorised an increase in the foreign investment limit in M/s Yes Bank Ltd., permitting eligible non-resident investors to invest by way of non-equity shares and other permissible instruments. Permitted modes include Qualified Institutions Placement, issuance of ADRs/GDRs, and portfolio acquisitions under the Portfolio Investment Scheme, subject to the conditions set out in the approving note.

International development financing: calls to expand World Bank role into social and rural development, strengthening capital and projects.
Engagements with the World Bank Group focused on expanding the institution's operational footprint in India through a call for a larger capital base, increased activity and additional projects, including expanded involvement in social sectors (education and health), agricultural development, small scale industry and handlooms, and review of ongoing project performance and implementation.

Voluntary Retirement Scheme approved: government grant to support improved pay-scale based retirement package for affected CPSE employees.
Approval was granted for an improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme for employees of Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation, with government support provided as a non plan grant to finance a VRS package based on 2007 notional pay scales to replace 1992 pay scales and assist employees affected by the company's sickness.

Act East policy strengthens economic diplomacy through minister-led business engagement and bilateral government-business partnerships for development.
Act East policy motivates a minister-led economic engagement through a high-level CEO delegation participating in a business conclave with sectoral sessions on agriculture, manufacturing, IT, health, education, skill development, energy, connectivity, tourism, SEZs and finance, centered on a Government-Business Roundtable to explore public-private partnerships; bilateral ministerial meetings aim to advance sector-specific cooperation and signal India's commitment to partner in the host country's economic and social development.

Intellectual property policy promotes a balanced, service oriented IP system to stimulate innovation and commercialization of rights.
Cabinet approval establishes a National Intellectual Property Rights Policy to stimulate creativity and commercialization of IP through a TRIPS compliant, balanced and service oriented regime; it creates an institutional mechanism under a nodal department to coordinate implementation and pursues seven objectives including awareness, generation of IPRs, legal framework, administration, commercialization, enforcement and human capital development.

Non-immigrant visa fee increases impair trade in services, prompting consultations to seek removal of restrictive measures.
Fee increases for H-1B and L-1 non-immigrant categories are said to impair Indian suppliers' ability to provide services and affect Trade in Services commitments for specialists and intra-corporate transferees; India seeks consultations to address and remove these trade-restrictive measures as contrary to transparency and predictability in trade.

Tax evasion enforcement: government to target misclassification of income as agricultural and pursue offshore concealment.
Enforcement will target misclassification of non-agricultural receipts as agricultural income, to be addressed by the assessing officer; genuine agricultural income will not be taxed and lies outside Centre's power. The government will use the black money law against illegal offshore accounts revealed in the Panama Papers, and maintains a one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery applicable to jewellers above the turnover threshold.

Premature retirement of tax officials enforces accountability under administrative rules; officials also dismissed for non performance and misconduct.
The government removed revenue officers for non-performance and misconduct: thirty-three officers, including Group A, were prematurely retired under CCS Pension Rule 56(j) for non-performance, and seventy-two officers, including Group A, were dismissed through departmental disciplinary actions during the preceding two years.

Repayment of Government Stock: maturity proceeds payable at par via electronic credit or pay order; submit bank mandate.
Maturity proceeds of the Government Stock are payable at par on the due date, with payment to the registered holder by electronic credit to the bank account or by pay order including bank particulars. Holders must submit bank account particulars or mandate in advance; absent those, they may tender duly discharged securities at Public Debt Offices, Treasuries/Sub Treasuries or designated bank branches in advance to facilitate repayment.

Make in India initiative expands manufacturing through investment zones, industrial corridors and liberalised FDI and licensing.
The Government advances a multifaceted manufacturing policy emphasizing Make in India and Startup India, ease-of-doing-business measures, liberalised FDI and licensing, and major infrastructure through industrial corridors such as the DMIC. National Investment and Manufacturing Zones are approved along DMIC and elsewhere to permit domestic and foreign investors to participate in tenders and set up manufacturing bases. A sectoral strategy lists twenty-two priority sectors and industry surveys report prevailing optimism about near-term prospects.

Startup support framework combining compliance simplification with funding, tax incentives, and incubation expansion for broader startup growth.
The Action Plan creates a startup support framework combining regulatory simplification (self-certification, a portal/app, Startup India Hub, legal and patent support, relaxed procurement, faster exit) with ecosystem measures: a Fund of Funds for equity support, a Credit Guarantee Fund for lending, tax incentives for investors and startups, and expansion of incubation, research parks and industry-academia initiatives to extend startup activity across sectors and regions.

Ease of Doing Business dashboard enables real-time state reporting and ranking to monitor business reform implementation.
Launch of two centralised dashboards: the Make in India Dashboard for Ministries to record progress on targets, facilitate timely delivery of action points, and identify implementation delays; and the Ease of Doing Business Dashboard for States/UTs to submit and validate progress on the State Level Business Reform Action Plan and to identify and disseminate good practices, with authenticated access provided to State/UT governments.

FDI in e commerce: marketplace model allowed under automatic route while inventory-based model remains prohibited.
FDI in e-commerce permits the marketplace model under the automatic route while prohibiting inventory-based e-commerce. Full foreign investment via automatic route is allowed for companies engaged exclusively in B2B e-commerce. Retail e-commerce is permitted when a manufacturer sells products made in India, when an existing single-brand brick-and-mortar retailer moves online, or when an Indian manufacturer sells its own single-brand products; the investee must be the brand owner, manufacture the majority of products in India in-house, and source a limited share from other Indian manufacturers.

Foreign investment restrictions: Bangladesh and Pakistan investors require government approval, others may invest except prohibited sectors.
Under the current FDI framework any non resident entity may invest in India except where investment is expressly prohibited. Citizens or entities of Bangladesh may invest only under the Government route. Citizens or entities of Pakistan may invest only under the Government route and are additionally barred from investing in defence, space and atomic energy as well as sectors prohibited for foreign investment.