Inventory valuation reporting in Form 101 requires Cost Accountant certification when valuation is directed for tax compliance.
Inventory Valuation Report in Form 101 is furnished by an assessee when the Assessing Officer directs inventory valuation under section 268(5)(ii) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 read with rule 171 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026. The report is prepared and certified by a Cost Accountant after examining books, records and supporting documents, and is used for accurate inventory valuation for tax computation, verification and compliance with the Income Computation and Disclosure Standards. Form 101 is filed only for the tax year in which the direction is issued, within the time allowed by the Assessing Officer.

E-commerce moratorium and TRIPS safeguard lapse as WTO ministers fail to reach consensus on digital trade rules.
Failure of the WTO ministerial conference to reach consensus on the extension of the e-commerce moratorium left unresolved the commitment not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions. The deadlock reflected differing positions on the duration of the extension, and the lapse raises the prospect that members may impose import duties on digital transmissions. The same impasse also ended the safeguard against non-violation complaints under the TRIPS Agreement, increasing the risk that WTO-compliant measures may be challenged for affecting expected commercial gains.

Proceeds of crime attachment under PMLA prevails over debt recovery laws in tainted asset proceedings.
Attachment of proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was described as prevailing over debt recovery legislation, including the SARFAESI and RDB Acts, where the property is linked to money laundering. The key legal point is that the PMLA operates with overriding effect in relation to attachment proceedings concerning tainted assets, and debt recovery mechanisms do not displace action taken under the anti-money laundering framework.

Special audit report requirements under income tax law clarified for Form 100, supporting compliance and verification.
Form 100 is the audit report furnished by an Accountant when an assessee is directed to get accounts audited under section 268(5)(i) of the Income-tax Act, 2025. It certifies examination of the books of account and financial statements and records whether the accounts present a true and fair view. The report is filed only on a special audit direction, together with supporting financial statements, books, bank statements, and applicable audit reports, within the period specified by the Assessing Officer.

ESG performance and sustainability leadership drive YES BANK's top ranking in S&P Global's banking assessment.
YES BANK reported improved ESG performance under the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2025, with a score of 79 out of 100 and recognition as India's highest-rated bank in the assessment. The bank stated that this result marked its fourth consecutive inclusion in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook and placed it among the top 15% of global banking leaders, based on evaluation across climate strategy, operational eco-efficiency, financial inclusion, human capital development, human rights, corporate governance, and risk management.

RBI foreign exchange restrictions and weak crude-linked sentiment deepen pressure on equities and banking stocks.
Indian equity markets ended sharply lower amid escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, higher crude oil prices, weak global cues, and continued foreign fund outflows. Banking stocks faced additional pressure after RBI restrictions on banks' foreign exchange positions aimed at stabilising the rupee, while market participants flagged oil-price volatility and rupee weakness as risks to input costs and near-term earnings revisions.

Special audit report filing under Form 100 requires accountant certification, supporting records, and online submission compliance.
Form 100 is the audit report to be furnished by an Accountant when the Assessing Officer directs a special audit under section 268(5)(i). It certifies examination of the assessee's accounts and their true and fair view, and is filed only for the tax year in which the direction is issued. The form requires signed verification, supporting financial and accounting records, and submission through the e-filing portal with annexures and documents. The revised form aligns with the Income-tax Act, 2025 and uses simplified tabular reporting.

Income-tax rate changes and procedural reforms reshape reassessment, penalties, tax credits, and indirect tax schedules in the finance bill.
Finance Bill, 2026 gives effect to the Central Government's financial proposals for the financial year 2026-2027 and operates as the Finance Act, 2026 with specified commencement dates. It revises income-tax rates, surcharge structures and health and education cess, and makes extensive amendments to the Income-tax Act, 1961 and the Income-tax Act, 2025 covering reassessment, return filing, assessment timelines, interest, penalty, waiver, immunity, tax credits, deductions, and related procedural rules. The Bill also updates indirect tax provisions, including customs, customs tariff and GST-linked schedule entries, by substituting, inserting and omitting specified rates and classifications.

Income-tax appeal filing in Form 99 requires electronic submission of facts, grounds, supporting documents and disputed details.
Form No. 99 is prescribed for filing an appeal before the Joint Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) or the Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) against an appealable order passed by an Income-tax Authority. It is furnished electronically and captures the relevant order, taxes paid, disputed amounts, grounds of appeal, statement of facts, supporting documents and additional evidence, so that the appeal may be registered and processed in the prescribed appellate manner.

PMLA attachment of proceeds of crime overrides prior secured interests under debt recovery laws in property disputes.
PMLA has an overriding confiscatory framework for attachment of proceeds of crime, and its operation is not displaced merely because the attached property is subject to a prior mortgage or secured interest under debt recovery laws. The court noted that SARFAESI and the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act serve different objects and cannot prevail over PMLA in attachment proceedings. Where confiscation has been ordered or trial has commenced, claims of legitimate interest in the attached property must be adjudicated by the Special Court.

Census data confidentiality and land dispute adjudication qualifications shape key legal concerns in recent public interest litigation.
Individual census data is to remain confidential and cannot be used as evidence or to obtain benefits under any government scheme. A public interest petition has also sought a revenue judicial service for land disputes, with minimum legal qualifications and training for public servants adjudicating such matters.

Electronic appeal filing under Form 99 requires timely submission, tax compliance, verified grounds, and prescribed supporting disclosures.
Form 99 is the prescribed electronic appeal form for filing an appeal before the Joint Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) or the Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) against an appealable order under the Income-tax Act, 2025. The appeal is optional and must be filed within 30 days from the relevant date. The form requires disclosure of appellant details, order particulars, disputed amounts, pending appeals, grounds of appeal, additional evidence, delay condonation, appeal fees, and supporting documents. Filing is subject to statutory tax-payment conditions, must be electronically filed where return e-filing is mandatory, cannot be revised after verification, and must be verified by the appellant or an authorised person.

Quarterly non-resident reporting in Form 92 mandates structured electronic filing, annexure declarations, and standardized identity details.
Quarterly reporting in Form 92 requires specified funds and stock brokers dealing with non-resident clients to furnish standardised information under Rule 157 through the Income-tax Department's electronic filing system. The form is submitted quarterly, may include multiple non-residents in one return, and is intended to support monitoring, compliance, verification of residency particulars, and information exchange for cross-border investments. Form 92 uses a structured Part A and Part B format, requires Annexure A-1 declarations from each non-resident, and calls for PAN details of the filer, with no other supporting documents to be uploaded.

Banking outlet coverage through GIS monitoring expands access in villages under RBI-guided infrastructure planning.
Banking outlet coverage in inhabited villages is monitored through the Jan Dhan Darshak GIS-based application, which tracks bank branches, Business Correspondents and India Post Payments Bank outlets within a five-kilometre radius. On the basis of bank-uploaded data, 99.92% of villages in the country and 100% of villages in Dadra and Nagar Haveli are covered within the prescribed radius. Expansion in uncovered areas is a continuous process under extant RBI guidelines, overseen by the State Level Bankers' Committee or Union Territory Level Bankers' Committee.

Kisan Credit Card access expands through digital issuance, concessional lending, and stronger grievance redressal for farmers.
Measures supporting the Kisan Credit Card ecosystem focus on expanding credit access, improving digital issuance, and strengthening financial inclusion for farmers, including small and marginal farmers. Priority Sector Lending guidelines and the Ground Level Agriculture Credit target operate as key policy instruments for scaling KCC coverage, with a sub-target for small and marginal farmers and incentive and disincentive frameworks intended to encourage more equitable agricultural credit distribution. The KCC scheme also covers working capital for animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, while the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme provides concessional short-term agricultural loans through KCC with an additional prompt repayment incentive.

Priority sector lending supports rural credit flow through agriculture targets, refinance support, and self-help group programmes.
Priority sector lending and related government measures are used to maintain uninterrupted rural credit flow for agriculture, MSMEs and self-help groups. Reserve Bank of India policy requires specified banks to allocate at least 18% of adjusted net bank credit or credit equivalent of off-balance sheet exposures, whichever is higher, to agriculture, with a 10% sub-target for small and marginal farmers. Concessional refinance support and NABARD programmes further assist rural financial institutions, self-help groups and microenterprises.

Rupee volatility and RBI forex exposure cap reshape market sentiment amid geopolitical tensions and dollar strength.
Rupee volatility in foreign exchange markets intensified amid geopolitical tensions, risk-off sentiment, elevated dollar demand and firmer crude prices, with the currency touching an intra-day low before settling lower against the US dollar. The Reserve Bank of India reduced the net open position that banks may maintain overnight and capped the Net Open Position (NOP-INR) for banks at USD 100 million, with compliance required by 10 April, as part of oversight of banks' foreign exchange exposure.

Quarterly reporting of non-resident client details through Form 092 requires online filing, declarations, and timely verification.
Quarterly reporting requirements apply to specified funds and stock brokers dealing with non-resident clients under Rule 157. Form 092 is the prescribed quarterly statement for furnishing non-resident client particulars, including name, contact details, country of residence, Tax Identification Number, and, where TIN is unavailable, the unique identification number issued by the foreign jurisdiction. The form must be filed online on the e-Filing portal within 15 days from the end of each quarter, and all non-resident clients dealt with during the quarter may be reported in the same return.

Public interest refusal to furnish information under income-tax law now uses electronic Form 91 with DIN authentication.
Form 91 is the statutory electronic form used by the designated Income-tax authority to refuse furnishing information requested under section 258(2)(a) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 where disclosure is not considered to be in the public interest. It is issued only by the competent authority, records the application reference, assessee details and relevant tax year, and states the refusal on public interest grounds. The form is authenticated through a system-generated DIN and electronic issuance details, creating a formal and traceable record distinct from forms used for furnishing information or intimation of non-availability.

Money laundering probe intensifies as Nepal widens scrutiny of former prime ministers and protests continue after arrests.
Protests continued in Nepal after the arrest of former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak in connection with the alleged suppression of the Gen Z protests, while the Department of Money Laundering Investigation and police intensified scrutiny of former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, K P Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The probe expanded after preliminary enquiries and the arrest of former minister Deepak Khadka in a money laundering case, with allegations of financial benefits for facilitating licences and contracts and forensic confirmation of burnt banknote fragments.