GST refund facilitation expands provisional input tax credit refunds and removes the minimum threshold for export-related IGST refunds. Punjab's GST amendments facilitate voluntary compliance and reduce procedural burdens by allowing a 90 per cent provisional input tax credit refund in inverted duty structure cases and removing the minimum threshold for IGST refunds on exported goods. Additional measures cap annual fee increases by private unaided educational institutions, establish digital open universities for technology-enabled higher education, protect trees and green cover, and address common infrastructure, panchayati raj, and contractual engagement of outsourced State personnel.
Video-conference statements for an approver application were declined, requiring the accused's statement to be recorded before consideration. Special CBI Court rejected an accused's request to record her statement through video conferencing in a bank-fraud prosecution. The accused had sought to become an approver, and her statement was required to be recorded before consideration of that application. She and her husband had previously become approvers in a related money-laundering matter involving alleged fraudulent Letters of Undertaking.
Fuel price transparency highlights allegations over excise duty, consumer retail costs, and profit disclosures by state-run oil marketing companies. Fuel pricing, central excise duty and profits of state-run oil marketing companies are examined through allegations that retail fuel prices and tax policy imposed excessive costs on consumers while generating substantial company profits. The criticism contrasts high crude-price periods with lower retail prices and lower excise duty against a later period in which reduced crude prices were allegedly not passed through to consumers. Profit-margin disclosure is also raised as a transparency issue, with parliamentary information described as covering oil prices, global crude prices and company profits.
Discharge in money-laundering proceedings turns on whether pre-charge material sufficiently establishes the alleged offence. Discharge in a money-laundering prosecution was sought before a special PMLA court concerning alleged siphoning and laundering of loans advanced to Jet Airways by Canara Bank. The prosecution was directed to respond, subject to the applicant not seeking adjournment. Discharge is available after filing of a chargesheet and before framing of charges where the material before the court is insufficient to establish the alleged offence. The proceedings arise from a CBI FIR concerning alleged bank fraud involving Jet Airways and associated persons.
High-speed rail indigenisation and infrastructure performance monitoring require skills development, comparative planning, measurable station assessments and freight-terminal dashboards. Parliamentary oversight calls for accelerated indigenisation of high-speed rail components, capacity-building through international expertise, and comparative study of successful high-speed rail systems for future corridors. Redeveloped stations should be assessed through measurable indicators concerning passenger use, accessibility, cleanliness, commercial occupancy, maintenance and feedback, with completed-project practices documented and shared. Operational cargo terminals and cargo-related facilities should be monitored through a digital dashboard covering utilisation, rake performance, mechanisation, connectivity, safety compliance and customer satisfaction.
MSME and export promotion framework expands finance, technology, infrastructure, sustainability and global-market support for enterprise growth. Haryana Progressive MSME and Export Promotion Policy 2026 creates a five-year framework for MSME growth through financial incentives, institutional support, industrial infrastructure, technology adoption and export facilitation. Identified thrust-sector enterprises may receive capital and interest subsidies, stamp duty reimbursement, employment assistance, insurance support, and incentives for automation, artificial intelligence, testing and research. Proposed venture capital and credit guarantee funds seek to improve institutional and collateral-free finance. Export support covers international certifications, credit, insurance, freight, e-commerce, trade fairs, documentation, compliance and buyer connections, alongside sustainability and inclusive entrepreneurship measures.
Employee data exposure alerts trigger review of alleged password spraying and MFA fatigue, with customer and operational systems unaffected. Employee data exposure alerts prompted TCS to review allegations concerning limited basic employee information that appears to be more than four years old. No indication exists that customer data, customer systems, or operational systems have been affected. The alleged vectors involve password spraying and multi-factor authentication fatigue. TCS states that safeguards against these techniques have been in place for more than two years, its controls remain effective, and monitoring and further assessment will continue.
Mustard honey export demonstrates FPO-led aggregation, quality-focused production and industry collaboration for international agricultural market access. Mustard honey export from Tripura to Dubai marks the first international shipment by Dergang Farmer Producer Organisation, supported through export-oriented aggregation and market linkage initiatives. The export creates overseas market access for local beekeepers and farmers, diversifies the honey value chain, and encourages quality-focused production. Industry collaboration supported bee production and an export-oriented supply chain, while capacity building, quality assurance, value addition and market linkages can strengthen agricultural exports and farmer participation in international markets.
Digital banking evidence gains recognition through a modernised framework for physical and electronic records, with privacy and security safeguards. The Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026, modernises the evidentiary framework for bankers' books by permitting banking records to be produced in physical or electronic form in legal proceedings. It recognises electronic, digital and virtual records and enables the Central Government to extend the regime to other regulated financial entities, supporting a uniform financial-sector evidentiary framework. The framework seeks secure and transparent use of banking records while safeguarding customer privacy, confidentiality and data security.
Illicit opioid medicine exports exposed through concealed cargo, clandestine manufacturing, repacking, and attempted transnational trafficking to Nigeria. Illicit manufacture and attempted export of controlled opioid medicines were detected in a network producing, concealing, storing and exporting Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets to Nigeria. A consignment declared as Pregabalin capsules contained concealed Tramadol Hydrochloride and Tapentadol tablets. Investigation identified clandestine manufacture, repacking and preparation for export, with searches yielding tablet-compression machinery and raw materials. Tramadol is a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, while Tapentadol is regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and its rules.
Summons compliance under anti-money-laundering law faces appellate scrutiny after acquittal over unproven email service allegations. Delhi High Court required Arvind Kejriwal to reply to Enforcement Directorate petitions challenging his acquittal in proceedings concerning alleged non-compliance with summonses. The trial court found that the agency had not proved intentional disobedience, service of summons through email, or lawful issuance of electronic summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The appellate challenge concerns proof of service, validity of electronic summons, and intentional non-compliance.
Pesticide residue concerns drive organic farming, school agriculture initiatives, infrastructure financing and climate-resilience support for farmers. Food-safety concerns arising from pesticide residues and toxic substances are to be addressed through organic vegetable farming, household cultivation and the Kathir school-farming initiative. Kathir provides for institutional farming, teacher and committee support, markets, student training and clubs, with possible academic weightage for agricultural participation. Agricultural infrastructure financing supports post-harvest management, value addition, processing, packing, marketing and exports. Additional measures include banking support, agricultural technology adoption, women-farmer support and schemes addressing climate-related floods and drought.
Digital EODC processing removes physical duty challans through authenticated payment verification for export authorisation closure. Export Obligation Discharge Certificate processing under the Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods schemes no longer requires physical duty-payment challans for voluntary customs-duty payments made on or after 1 August 2026. Authenticated licence-wise payment information is electronically transmitted from Customs/ICEGATE to DGFT systems and mapped to the relevant authorisation. Exporters can verify payment details on the customer portal, while Regional Authorities use corresponding back-office records, replacing manual submission and verification for authorisation closure.
Trusted service-call numbering requires verified utilities and logistics entities to use dedicated numbers exclusively for transactional and service communications. The 1601-series is introduced for verified utilities, courier and logistics entities making service and transactional voice calls. Numbers must be allocated directly to eligible entities, not intermediaries or aggregators, following verification by telecom service providers and an undertaking of exclusive use. Promotional voice calls are prohibited on this series and remain associated with the 140-series. The framework separates these calls from the 1600-series reserved for regulated financial-sector and government-to-citizen communications, supporting consumer recognition of legitimate calls and reducing impersonation risks.
GST revenue collection drives tax growth while data scrutiny, taxpayer verification, and compliance capacity remain key administrative priorities. GST constituted the principal component of tax revenue for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Tax administration faces staff shortages, information-technology upgrade needs, and increased workloads from taxpayer registrations and return filings. Compliance oversight requires GST data scrutiny, risk assessment, identification of unregistered taxpayers, tax-evasion detection, and field verification of high-risk taxpayers. Long-term revenue planning sets progressively higher collection targets through 2063.
Russian crude imports reshape India's refining trade as processed petroleum products reach sanctioning jurisdictions despite import restrictions. Indian imports of Russian crude oil reached a second consecutive monthly record in July 2026, with Russian crude forming the dominant share of India's Russian fossil-fuel purchases and more than half of total crude imports. Higher receipts through smaller terminals offset reduced volumes at Paradip. Indian refineries processing Russian crude also exported refined petroleum products to sanctioning jurisdictions, including the European Union, Australia and the United States, despite the European Union prohibition on imports of oil products made from Russian crude.
Cyber-fraud through stolen phones allegedly used mule accounts, banking credentials and coordinated technical operations to divert victims' funds. Investigation into unauthorised withdrawals after theft of a mobile phone uncovered an alleged interstate cyber-fraud network using stolen devices, linked banking credentials and mule bank accounts. The scheme allegedly involved phone theft, supply of accounts and banking instruments, and a technical operation that accessed victims' accounts and routed funds for withdrawal or transfer. Digital surveillance, transaction mapping, seized devices, victim data and transaction records are being examined to identify linked complaints and the extent of funds allegedly diverted.
Rupee depreciation reflected stronger dollar, elevated crude prices and geopolitical uncertainty, while portfolio inflows and equity gains provided support. The rupee depreciated against the US dollar amid a stronger dollar, higher global crude oil prices and uncertainty surrounding West Asia-related negotiations. Concerns over crude oil's potential impact on the trade deficit weighed on the currency, while positive domestic equity markets and foreign portfolio investment inflows provided support. Market caution remained focused on forthcoming US inflation data, dollar-index movements and Brent crude prices. Foreign-exchange reserves increased during the reported period.
Collateral-free personal loans offer extended repayment flexibility, conditional reward benefits, and online application subject to eligibility and disbursal requirements. Loan Utsav 2026 provides eligible Bajaj Finance Personal Loan applicants an exclusive reward bundle where the loan is successfully disbursed during the campaign period. The collateral-free facility supports personal expenses, offers repayment tenures from 12 to 108 months, and may enable lower monthly EMI obligations through a longer selected tenure. Interest rates depend on eligibility, credit assessment, financial profile and lending criteria. Online applications require personal and financial details and required documents, with disbursal for eligible applicants possible after verification and approval.
Credit card payment flexibility supports seasonal shopping and travel through eligible EMIs, rewards, tracking tools and conditional merchant benefits. Credit-card spending features include conversion of eligible purchases into EMIs, selected no-cost EMI options, reward points, cashback, merchant discounts and payment flexibility. Travel-related benefits may include domestic airport lounge access, travel-booking discounts, fuel-surcharge waiver and anniversary-linked rewards. The AU 0101 application enables transaction tracking, balance and interest-rate monitoring, EMI conversion and bill-payment management. Features and offers are subject to change, customer eligibility, internal policies and partner-merchant terms.
The External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) policy has been reviewed to keep it in tune with the evolving macroeconomic situation, changing market conditions, sectoral requirements, the external sector and lessons of experience.Consequent upon such a review, it has been decided to modify some aspects of the ECB policy as indicated below:
All-in-cost ceilings on ECB
As per extant ECB policy, the all-in-cost ceilings for ECBs, in respect of both automatic as well as approval routes, for average maturity period of 3-5 years and more than years are 6 month Libor+300 bps and 6 month Libor+500 bps respectively.
Keeping in view the credit conditions in the international and domestic financial markets, it has been decided to dispense with the requirement of all-in-cost ceilings on ECB until June 30, 2009. Eligible borrowers proposing to avail of ECB beyond the permissible all-in-cost ceilings specified in para 2 above may approach the Reserve Bank of India under the approval route. This relaxation in all-in-cost ceiling will be reviewed in June 2009.
ECBs for development of integrated township
In May 2007, RBI had withdrawn the exemption accorded to the 'development of integrated township' as a permissible end-use of ECB. It has now been decided to permit corporates engaged in the development of integrated township, as defined in Press Note 3 (2002 Series) dated January 04, 2002 issued by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, to avail of ECB under the Approval Route. This facility will be reviewed in June 2009.
ECBs for NBFCs exclusively engaged in financing of the infrastructure sector
As per the extant policy guidelines on ECB, NBFCs are permitted to avail of ECB for a minimum maturity period of five years to finance import of infrastructure equipments for leasing to infrastructure projects in India. It has now been decided to allow NBFCs, which are exclusively involved in financing of the infrastructure sector, to avail of ECBs from multilateral/regional financial institutions and government owned development financial institutions under the approval route. While considering the applications, RBI will take into account the aggregate commitment of these lenders directly to infrastructure projects in India. The direct lending portfolio of the above lenders vis-à-vis their total ECB lending to NBFCs, at any point of time should not be less than 3:1. This facility will be reviewed in June 2009.
ECBs by the services sector
At present entities in the services sector namely Hotels, Hospitals and Software sector are allowed to avail of ECB up to USD 100 million per financial year for import of capital goods under the approval route. It has now been decided to permit the corporates in the Hotels, Hospitals and Software sectors to avail ECB up to USD 100 million per year for both foreign currency and / or Rupee capital expenditure for permissible end use, other than for land acquisition, under the Automatic Route.
Limit for FIIs' investment in corporate debt
Currently, FIIs have been permitted to invest up to USD 6 billion in corporate debt. It has now been decided to enhance the limit to USD 15 billion.
. All other aspects of ECB policy such as USD 500 million limit per company per year under the Automatic Route, eligible borrower, recognised lender, end-use, average maturity period, prepayment, refinancing of existing ECB and reporting arrangements remain unchanged.
. The above amendments in ECB policy will come into force on the date of Notification of Regulations / directions issued by the Reserve Bank in this regard under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
ECB policy liberalisation suspends all-in-cost ceilings temporarily and widens eligible borrowers and routes for external borrowing.
The ECB policy review dispenses with the requirement of all-in-cost ceilings until review and allows borrowers exceeding prior ceilings to seek approval from the Reserve Bank; concurrently, it permits integrated township developers and specified NBFCs to access ECBs under the approval route (with a direct-lending ratio condition), moves certain services sector capital expenditure ECBs to the automatic route (excluding land acquisition), and raises the FII corporate debt investment ceiling, with changes effective on RBI notification.
Note: It is a system-generated summary and is for quick reference only.
TaxTMI 
Join Channel
TaxTMI 
