Patent Rules reform streamlines patent prosecution and maintenance, reducing timelines and simplifying extensions and filings.
Notification of the Patent Rules, 2024 introduces procedural reforms to simplify patent prosecution and maintenance, including a Certificate of Inventorship, Form 31 for grace period claims, reduced time for request for examination, revised timing for foreign filing details in Form 8, explicit repeatable extensions and condonation up to six months, an advance electronic renewal fee discount, reduced frequency and limited condonation for Form 27 statements, and clarified pre grant representation procedures with prescribed fees to curb fraudulent oppositions.

IPEF Clean Economy Agreement promotes regional clean energy cooperation, unlocking investment and capacity building for clean transitions.
The Supply Chain Agreement has entered into force and the texts of the proposed Clean Economy Agreement, Fair Economy Agreement, and overarching Agreement on IPEF have been finalised and published after legal review. The Agreement on IPEF creates an IPEF Council and a Joint Commission to oversee collective operation and monitor implementation, while the Supply Chain Agreement establishes three operational bodies to be staffed and to adopt terms of reference. The Clean Economy and Fair Economy Agreements provide cooperative mechanisms-including Cooperative Work Programs and a Catalytic Capital Fund-and technical assistance to promote clean transition, investment, transparency, and anti corruption measures.

PMLA compliance breach prompts monetary enforcement for AML/CFT and KYC failures in payments bank accounts.
Financial intelligence enforcement found deficiencies in a payments bank's record-keeping, transaction monitoring and customer due diligence after information that proceeds from illegal online gambling were routed through its accounts. A Show Cause Notice alleged failures under rules on maintenance of records, customer identification, reporting obligations and AML/CFT/KYC safeguards for payout and beneficiary services. On review of submissions and material on record, the Director exercised statutory authority to impose a monetary penalty as an enforcement measure to address the substantiated compliance lapses.