Punjab GST rate amendment increases the specified table entry and applies from its deemed commencement date.
Punjab Goods and Services Tax exemption framework is amended by substituting the specified rate in column (4) against serial number 4 from 6% to 9%. The revised entry is deemed to have taken effect from 16 January 2025 and applies only to the identified table entry.

GST amendment expands covered supplies to include food inputs associated with fortified rice premix for welfare schemes.
Under section 9 of the Punjab Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, the Government amends Notification No. S.O. 158/P.A.5/2017/S.9/2018 by inserting in the table, after the clause covering Fortified Rice Kernel (Premix) supply for ICDS or similar approved schemes, a new clause "(c) food inputs for (a) above," thereby expressly extending the listed supplies to include ancillary food inputs; the amendment is deemed effective from 16 January 2025.

Specified premises status for hotel accommodation under GST now follows value thresholds or premise-specific opt-in and opt-out declarations.
Punjab GST provisions revise the meaning of specified premises for hotel accommodation services and introduce premise-specific opt-in and opt-out declarations. A premises qualifies through supplies exceeding the prescribed per-unit daily value threshold or through a timely declaration. Registered suppliers must file opt-in or opt-out declarations between 1 January and 31 March of the preceding financial year, while registration applicants may opt in within fifteen days of acknowledgement. Each declaration applies separately to each premises and generally continues for subsequent financial years unless changed through the prescribed declaration process.

Commencement of amended GST rules appointed; select amendment rules set to commence on designated dates.
Departmental notification appoints commencement dates for provisions of the Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Rules, 2024: Rules 2, 24, 27 and 32 commence on the eleventh day of February, 2025; Rules 8, 37 and clause (ii) of rule 38 commence on the first day of April, 2025, under the statutory power to appoint commencement dates.

GST amendment commencement dates set for specified rules, effective 11 February and 1 April 2025.
Designates commencement dates for specified provisions of the Arunachal Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Rules, 2024: Rules 2, 24, 27 and 32 commence on 11 February 2025, and Rules 8, 37 and clause (ii) of Rule 38 commence on 1 April 2025, thereby phasing activation of the amendment provisions by state notification.

Staged commencement of GST amendment rules brings specified Sikkim tax provisions into force on different dates.
Brings into force specified provisions of the Sikkim Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Rules, 2024 under the Sikkim Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. Rules 2, 24, 27 and 32 are brought into force from 11 February 2025, while Rules 8, 37 and clause (ii) of Rule 38 are brought into force from 1 April 2025. The notification operates as a staged commencement of the identified amendment rules.

Commencement of CGST Amendment Rules: specified amendment provisions brought into force on appointed dates by notification.
The Central Government appoints commencement dates for specified provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Rules, 2024: Rules 2, 24, 27 and 32 to commence on the eleventh day of February, 2025; and Rules 8, 37 and clause (ii) of rule 38 to commence on the first day of April, 2025, by official notification under the CGST Act.

Late fee waiver for delayed GSTR-9C filing if reconciliation statement furnished by the specified compliance deadline.
The Government waives the amount of late fee under section 47 that exceeds the late fee payable up to the date of furnishing FORM GSTR-9 for financial years 2017-18 through 2022-23, for registered persons required to file reconciliation statement in FORM GSTR-9C who failed to furnish it with FORM GSTR-9 but furnish FORM GSTR-9C on or before 31 March 2025; no refund of late fee already paid for delayed furnishing of FORM GSTR-9C is permitted.

Investor Charter compliance requirement mandates intermediaries to adhere to the Board specified investor charter and related obligations.
Mandates that specified categories of regulated market participants ensure compliance with an Investor Charter as specified by the Board. The Amendment inserts a provision into the cited regulatory frameworks-including stock brokers, merchant bankers, registrars, debenture trustees, bankers to an issue, asset management companies, custodians, KYC registration agencies, alternative investment funds, investment advisers, research analysts, REITs and InvITs managers, depository participants, designated DPs for FPIs, portfolio managers, and vault managers-requiring each entity to ensure compliance with the Investor Charter specified by the Board from time to time, effective on publication in the Official Gazette.

Fund management registration and investor safeguards govern IFSC schemes, ETFs, portfolio services, and investment trusts.
Fund management in an International Financial Services Centre requires prior registration as a Fund Management Entity under Authorised, Non-Retail, or Retail categories. Applicants must meet legal-form, net-worth, infrastructure, governance, fit-and-proper, and key-personnel requirements. The framework governs venture capital, restricted, retail, special situation, and family investment schemes; ETFs; portfolio management services; and investment trusts. It imposes scheme-specific investor eligibility, investment, leverage, valuation, disclosure, contribution, custody, and governance obligations, supported by fair valuation, asset segregation, conflict-management, AML/CFT, record-keeping, cyber-resilience, risk-management, and investor-protection duties.

Export policy change for raw human hair: prohibition replaces restricted status, allowed only if FOB value meets specified threshold.
The export classification for raw human hair is amended from Restricted to Prohibited, with an operative exception that exports are treated as Free when the FOB value equals or exceeds the prescribed US Dollar threshold per kilogram; the amendment takes immediate effect under the Foreign Trade Policy provisions.

Scientific Research approval enables Bhaikaka University to qualify for tax benefits under section 35 of the Income-tax Act.
Approval designates Bhaikaka University, Anand, Gujarat, as recognised for Scientific Research in the category of "University, college or other institution" for the purposes of clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, issued under rules 5C and 5E of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, with retrospective effect from the date of Gazette publication, thereby making the institution eligible for the tax treatment tied to such recognition.

Protected-system designation for core banking and payment infrastructure restricts access to persons authorised in writing.
Computer resources supporting Karur Vysya Bank's Core Banking Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement and Unified Payments Interface Switch, including associated dependencies, are declared protected systems under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Access is authorised for designated employees, need-based managed service-provider personnel or third-party vendors, and specified consultants, regulators, Government officials, auditors and stakeholders, subject to written authorisation.

Protected systems designation requires written authorisation for access to core banking and payment switch resources.
Protected-system status applies to City Union Bank computer resources supporting its Core Banking Solution and Unified Payments Interface Switch, including associated dependencies. Access is limited to employees, service-provider and vendor team members, and specified consultants, regulators, officials, auditors and stakeholders, each authorised in writing under the applicable designation. The status takes effect upon Official Gazette publication.

Protected-system designation for banking payment infrastructure requires written authorisation for employee, vendor, and case-specific stakeholder access.
Karnataka Bank Limited's computer resources relating to its Core Banking Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement and Unified Payments Interface Switch, including associated dependencies, are declared protected systems as Critical Information Infrastructure. Access is authorised for designated employees, authorised managed-service-provider personnel and third-party vendors on a need-based basis, and consultants, regulators, government officials, auditors and stakeholders authorised in writing on a case-to-case basis. The designation takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.

Critical information infrastructure protection designates IDFC FIRST Bank payment and core banking systems as protected systems, restricting authorised access.
Critical Information Infrastructure comprising IDFC FIRST Bank's Core Banking Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement system, Immediate Payment Service Switch and Unified Payments Interface Switch, together with associated dependencies, is declared to be protected systems under section 70 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The declaration applies to computer resources supporting these banking and payment functions.

Protected-system status secures UCO Bank's core banking and payment infrastructure, limiting access to specifically authorised persons.
Computer resources supporting UCO Bank's Core Banking Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement and Unified Payments Interface Switch, including associated dependencies, are declared protected systems as Critical Information Infrastructure. Access is limited to authorised UCO Bank employees, authorised managed service provider or third-party vendor personnel requiring need-based access, and consultants, regulators, government officials, auditors and stakeholders authorised on a case-to-case basis. The declaration takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.

Amalgamation of Special Economic Zones: single Multi Sector SEZ notified in Chenglepet Tamil Nadu; previous notifications superseded.
Central Government notifies the amalgamation of three sector specific SEZs into one Multi Sector Special Economic Zone developed by M/s. Mahindra World City Developers Limited at Chenglepet Taluk, Kancheepuram, consolidating a total notified area of 246.333 hectares. The notification, issued under the second proviso to sub section (1) of section 4 of the SEZ Act and rule 8 of the SEZ Rules, supersedes prior notifications and lists the survey numbers and parcel areas comprising the notified zone after the Board of Approval's recommendation and satisfaction of conditions under section 3(8) of the Act.

Regulation of securities contracts narrows permitted derivatives to government, gold-related and money-market securities, excluding non-permitted trades.
The amendment substitutes sub clause (1) to specify that contracts for sale or purchase of Government Securities, gold related securities and money market securities are covered, except for spot delivery contracts, contracts traded on a recognised stock exchange permitted by its rules and bye laws, and any other contracts specifically permitted by the Reserve Bank of India; the amendment takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.

Vintage motor vehicle import policy: classified vintage cars free for import by actual users subject to motor vehicle rules.
Vehicles meeting the Explanation to sub rule (1) of rule 81A of Chapter IIIA of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 are classified as vintage motor vehicles and are free for import by Actual Users; Policy Condition no. 1(I) and 1(II) of Chapter 87 of ITC (HS) 2022 do not apply, while vehicles plying on public roads remain subject to the Motor Vehicles Act and imported vehicles must comply with Chapter IIIA conditions as amended.