Extension of filing deadline granted to facilitate e filing access; taxpayers urged to file returns after paying due tax.
Due to a surge in electronic filing and access failures linked to local internet service provider constraints, the income tax return due date originally 31st July, 2013 has been extended to 5th August, 2013 as an administrative measure for taxpayer convenience; taxpayers are requested to file during the extension after paying any tax due.

Foreign direct investment limits: TRAI invites stakeholder comments on proposed liberalisation of FDI caps in broadcasting.
TRAI has released a consultation paper at the request of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to re-examine Foreign Direct Investment limits and approval routes in the broadcasting sector. The paper considers carriage services, content services (uplinking/downlinking of news channels) and FM radio, guided by sector convergence and the principle of a level playing field. Stakeholders are invited to submit comments, which will be posted on TRAI's website.

Economic recovery measures proposed to tackle the current account gap, revive industry, and accelerate corridors and skills development.
The Council examined measures to correct the Current Account Deficit and revive industrial growth by combining fiscal and regulatory tools: raising duties on consumer and luxury goods, innovative curbs on gold imports, sovereign bond issuance and swaplines, asset sales to raise resources, restoring corporate cash flows, and resolving tax uncertainty. It recommended easing FDI conditions and FIPB speed, sector-specific zones, single-window clearances, accelerated depreciation for SMEs, pre-cleared projects, use of PSU land for parks, PPP for energy and coal operations, prioritising industrial corridors, visa facilitation for exports, and large-scale skill certification utilising existing employment schemes.

Foreign institutional investor participation dominant in government OFS transactions, outweighing insurance and bank allocations overall.
Government OFS transactions exhibited substantial Foreign Institutional Investor participation, with FIIs providing a plurality of funds in major offerings while insurance companies and public sector banks contributed smaller shares. Pricing of OFS issues is set by assessing company strength, market conditions, and investor interest to achieve a reasonable level that attracts long term investors across categories.

Applied economic research must remain faithful to founding ideals and resist political misdirection, enhancing policy relevance.
Emphasis on preserving NCAER's commitment to founding ideals and sustaining purposeful, applied economic research, urging affiliates to remain faithful to that vision and to produce policy relevant work that resists politically convenient narratives; construction of a new facility is presented as necessary infrastructure to support academic independence, research integrity, and increased impact of applied economic study.

Government stock repayment: maturity payable to registered holders via electronic credit or pay order; tender at paying offices permitted.
Maturity proceeds of the government stock will be paid to registered holders by electronic credit to the nominated bank account or by pay order; holders must submit bank account particulars in advance. If such particulars are not available, holders may tender duly discharged securities at Public Debt Offices, Treasuries/Sub Treasuries, or specified bank branches twenty days before the due date to receive the discharge value. Repayment in a State where the maturity date is a declared holiday will be made on the previous working day.

Corporate mobile number porting now allowed via letter of authorization, with distinct 48-hour processing and 90-day implementation timelines.
The Telecommunications Mobile Number Portability (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2013 create a dedicated procedure allowing up to 50 corporate mobile numbers to be ported in a single request through a letter of authorization from the corporate authorised signatory; the amendment becomes effective after 90 days to permit system changes and requires the Recipient Operator to forward corporate-number porting requests within 48 hours while maintaining a 24-hour period for individual requests.

Valuation of spectrum: consultation invites stakeholder input on reserve pricing and related rules under an expedited timetable.
The consultation solicits stakeholder input on quantum of spectrum to be auctioned, eligibility to participate, roll out obligations, valuation methods and estimation of the reserve price, review of spectrum usage charges, and spectrum trading; it sets an expedited timetable for written comments and counter comments and schedules an open house discussion, with submissions directed to the Authority and a statement that timelines will not be extended in light of the Department's request and a higher judicial directive.

Eligibility criteria revision expands educational access and removes mandatory computer literacy for upcoming PO/MT recruitment.
Eligibility for CWE PO/MT-III has been revised: a degree in any discipline from a recognised university or equivalent is required; age is restricted to a young adult band with government-prescribed relaxations for reserved categories; computer literacy is not mandatory. Administrative amendments include revised online registration and separate online and offline payment windows for application fees/intimation charges, together with an extended registration deadline. Candidates must refer to the official corrigendum and notified publications for authoritative details.

Research and Development programme in water sector advances technology, dissemination and institutional collaboration under national plan.
Research and Development programme in the water sector approved for the XII Plan to advance technologies for planning, design, construction and operation of water resources projects by sponsoring and coordinating research, supporting dissemination and technology transfer, and evaluating R&D activities and consultancies, implemented by Ministry of Water Resources organisations with participation from academic and research institutions.

Development communication drives awareness of government entitlements and promotes beneficiary uptake through media-led outreach campaigns.
Approval of the Plan Scheme "Development Communication and Information Dissemination" allocates a central outlay to media-led outreach to increase public awareness of government welfare and employment schemes, aiming to convert statutory entitlements into realized benefits through coordinated use of outdoor publicity, electronic and print media, public information campaigns, tours, people-to-people contact, special outreach programmes, live art and culture shows and new media.

Foodgrain allocation to BPL families under TPDS extended until National Food Security Bill implementation, with extra state allocations available.
An additional allocation of fifty lakh tonnes of foodgrains has been approved for BPL families during 2013-14 under the Targeted Public Distribution System, available for lifting by States/UTs until 31 March 2014 or until the National Food Security Bill is passed and implemented. The allocation supplements prior years' additional BPL supplies in view of adequate Central Pool stocks and addresses requirements for about 6.52 crore BPL families, including Antyodaya Anna Yojana households, at BPL prices.

Corporate Social Responsibility contribution supports disaster relief as company donates to Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
SPMCIL presented a cheque to the Union Finance Minister for the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for Uttarakhand, funded through the company's Corporate Social Responsibility allocation and pooled contributions of employees' one-day salaries, handed over in a formal ceremony attended by senior government and company officials.

Foreign direct investment caps and approval routes clarified, specifying automatic entry for many sectors and case-by-case clearance where needed.
Foreign direct investment policy sets sectoral caps and classifies approval routes: specified sectors are subject to explicit share limits and either the automatic route or require consideration by the investment approval authority, with defence production beyond the lower threshold eligible for case-by-case approval when it offers access to modern technology.

Wholesale Price Inflation rises as food and fuel pressures offset mineral declines, lifting the June monthly WPI.
The Wholesale Price Index for June 2013 rose to 172.7 producing an annual WPI inflation rate of 4.86% and a financial-year build-up of 1.53%; the increase reflected heterogeneous movements with Primary Articles (notably food) and Fuel & Power rising while Minerals declined, and Manufactured Products showing a modest net increase driven by selected subgroups, with annexed tables providing commodity-level month-on-month, year-on-year and build-up inflation breakdowns.

Industrial Production Index shows mixed sectoral performance with manufacturing and mining contracting while electricity and intermediate goods expand.
Quick estimates for May 2013 show the IIP general index at 167.6, down 1.6% year on year with April-May cumulative growth of 0.1%. Sectoral indices: Mining contracted, Manufacturing declined, and Electricity expanded; eleven of twenty two manufacturing groups recorded negative growth. Use based results: Basic Goods slightly down, Capital Goods down, Intermediate Goods up, Consumer Durables fell markedly while Consumer Non Durables rose, producing an overall decline in Consumer Goods. April indices received a first revision and February indices a final revision; April will undergo a further final revision with the July release.

Ministerial trade policy forum revival to advance bilateral trade and address market access, transfer pricing, and immigration issues.
Agreement to revive the Ministerial Trade Policy Forum to advance bilateral trade, including India's review of Preferential Market Access, concerns on transfer pricing, and elements of the Bali package; discussions also covered immigration reform impacts on IT skilled mobility and India's TRIPS-compliant intellectual property regime, alongside promotion of the National Manufacturing Policy and National Skills Mission as opportunities for commercial engagement.

Trade deficit widens as exports fall and imports rise, driven by higher oil imports and mixed non oil trends.
India's June 2013 and April-June 2013-14 trade data show exports declined in dollar terms while imports rose over the quarter, yielding a wider trade deficit. Oil imports increased for both the month and quarter, non-oil imports fell in June but rose cumulatively, and differing dollar versus rupee growth rates across categories affected provisional monthly and quarterly trade balances.

XBRL taxonomy templates open for comment to align insurance financial reporting with Insurance Act and IRDA requirements.
Draft XBRL taxonomy templates for Life and Non life insurance companies specify separate reporting formats aligned with the Insurance Act and IRDA requirements; insurance specific data elements were compiled from statutory provisions, IRDA circulars and common industry disclosures, and the drafts are open for stakeholder comment to refine taxonomy elements and facilitate electronic filing of insurers' financial statements in XBRL.

Industrial infrastructure upgradation scheme approved with national project selection, PMA oversight and NER set aside for projects.
The Cabinet Committee approved the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS) for the 12th Plan with an outlay of Rs.1030 crore, reserving at least 10 percent for North Eastern Region projects and targeting 14-16 projects. A Project Management Agency will be appointed to assist the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion in appraisal and monitoring; proposals will receive in principle approval from an Apex Committee, be monitored against milestones for final approval, and targeted for completion by the end of the 12th Plan.