Customs exemption carve-outs: specified goods excluded from relief, with import limits applying to zinc oxide from Nepal.
The Government amends an existing customs exemption notification to exclude from the exemption vanaspati, acrylic yarn, copper products under Chapter 74 and heading 85.44, and zinc oxide imported from Nepal in excess of the quantity limits specified in the Annexure to an earlier customs notification.

Customs tariff amendment inserts a new heading for golf cars altering import duty treatment and exemption entries.
The Central Government amends Notification No. 21/2002-Cus by inserting a new table entry, serial 344A, for goods described as golf cars, thereby updating the tariff schedule and specifying the import duty and exemption particulars applicable to those goods under the Table of the principal notification.

Excise duty exemption for ethanol-blended petrol where specified ethanol blend meets BIS 2796; excess duty relieved.
Petrol cleared from an oil refinery or registered warehouse for use in a specified low percentage ethanol blended petrol meeting BIS specification 2796 is exempted from excise duty to the extent that the duty exceeds the amount that would have been leviable if sold by the manufacturer to an unrelated buyer at the time nearest to removal with price as sole consideration.

Excise exemption for ethanol blended petrol removes excise duty where motor spirit and ethanol duties are paid and standards met.
Exempts ethanol blended petrol from the whole of the additional duty of excise where the blend consists of motor spirit and ethanol on which the appropriate duties of excise have been paid and where the blend conforms to Bureau of Indian Standards specification 2796; defines "appropriate duties of excise" to include duties under the Central Excise Tariff, additional duties under finance enactments and special additional excise duty, read with applicable exemption notifications, and limits the exemption to the specified period of operation.

Ethanol blended petrol exemption expands Central Excise relief for compliant fuel blends and intended motor spirit use.
Amendment to existing Central Excise exemption notifications introduced an exemption entry for 5% ethanol blended petrol, being a blend of 95% motor spirit and 5% ethanol on which the appropriate duties of excise had already been paid, and conforming to Bureau of Indian Standards specification 2796. A further amendment inserted an entry for motor spirit intended for use in ethanol blended petrol, subject to the same blending composition and BIS specification, and to compliance with the procedure laid down under the Central Excise (Removal of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, 2001.

Specification under Section 35AC extends eligibility for a blood component equipment project after National Committee recommendation.
Specification under the Explanation to Section 35AC designates the purchase of blood-component equipment and accessories at Chennai by Madras Egmore Lions Blood Bank Research Foundation as an eligible project; the National Committee, satisfied with execution, recommended an extension under the Income-tax Rules, and the Central Government, exercising powers under the Explanation to Section 35AC, notifies the project as eligible for a further fixed period commencing with a stated assessment year with an estimated project cost recorded.

Eligible project specification extended for kidney hospital project, permitting continued tax incentive eligibility under Income tax Act provision.
The Central Government has specified and extended as an eligible project under the Explanation to the Income tax Act provision the construction of a kidney hospital, purchase of equipment and running expenses (corpus fund) at Anand Marg, Jamnagar by Shree Anandabava Netra Chikitshalaya, on the National Committee's recommendation, for a further three year period commencing with the assessment year 2003 2004 and noting the estimated cost including the corpus fund.

Explanation to section 35AC: Extension of tax-eligibility for a specified charitable medical centre project following regulatory recommendation.
The Central Government, pursuant to the Explanation to section 35AC of the Income-tax Act and on the National Committee's recommendation under the Income-tax Rules, has specified the Construction and operation of the Vijayaraj Nagar medical centre by Om Shree Ram Mantra Mandir Trust as an eligible project. The specification extends the project's eligibility for tax-benefit purposes for a further three-year period and includes construction, purchase of instruments and furniture, and running of the centre, with project cost components noted to include a corpus fund.

Section 35AC project eligibility extended for Integrated Rural Development Project, permitting continued tax-advantaged contributions for a further period.
The Central Government specifies the Integrated Rural Development Project by Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikash Sanstha as an eligible project under the Explanation to section 35AC of the Income-tax Act, 1961, on the National Committee's recommendation under rule 11M(5) of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, and re-specifies the scheme for a further period commencing with the assessment year 2002-2003 at the stated estimated project cost.

Specification of eligible project under section 35AC extends eligibility for blind rehabilitation and education scheme for further term.
The Central Government specifies the Rehabilitation and Education of the Blind project carried out by the National Association for the Blind (Gujarat State Branch) as an eligible project under the Explanation to the Income tax Act provision for a further three years commencing with the assessment year 2003 2004, following the National Committee's recommendation that the project is being executed properly and noting the estimated project cost.

Deduction eligibility under section 35AC amended to increase the specified project cost limit for a health scheme.
The Central Government specifies the Health for all project by Shree Bidada Sarvodaya Trust at Bidada, Kutch-including a 50 bed hospital, dispensary, child and mother care centre, T.B. clinic and related medical camps-as an eligible project under the Explanation to section 35AC, and, following the National Committee's recommendation, amends the prior notification to raise the maximum project cost permitted for deduction, thereby increasing the ceiling for allowable deduction under that Explanation.

Eligibility under section 35AC: expansion of Tata Sponge Iron's community development scheme to include school construction and health initiatives.
The Central Government, under the Explanation to section 35AC, specifies additional community development activities by Tata Sponge Iron Limited in Keonjhar-construction of school buildings, purchase of library books and medicines, training on family planning, health and hygiene, and encouragement of sports-as an eligible project and amends the prior notification to substitute the relevant table entry to reflect the modified project scope and cost.

Tax-benefit eligibility extended for a specified charitable project after committee recommendation, sustaining its approved period.
The Central Government specifies that a charitable scheme in Theni District involving construction and operation of a computer training centre, CBR centre and auditorium, a home for orphans, rural development programmes, and health and family welfare activities is an eligible project for tax-benefit purposes; the National Committee recommended, and the Government approved, an extension of the original one-year specification for a further one-year period commencing with the next assessment year, at the stated estimated cost and subject to governing conditions.

Tax exemption eligibility extended for Melmaruvathur hospital project, permitting continued tax benefit applicability after National Committee review.
The Central Government has specified the project of construction, furnishing and equipping a hospital and research institute at Melmaruvathur, carried out by Adhiparasakthi Charitable Medical, Educational and Cultural Trust, as an eligible project under the Explanation to section 35AC for a further period of three years, following the National Committee's recommendation that the project is being executed properly.

Tax exemption under section 10(23C)(iv) grants conditional recognition to a notified energy agency for specified assessment years.
Notification designates the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency, Mumbai under clause (23C)(iv) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act for specified assessment years, subject to conditions: income must be applied or accumulated wholly and exclusively to the institution's objects; investments restricted to permitted forms; business income excluded unless incidental and maintained in separate books; regular tax return filing required; and on dissolution surplus assets to be transferred to a similar charitable organization.

Income-tax exemption notification: Maharashtra State Women's Council recognised under clause 23C(iv) subject to compliance conditions on income use.
The Central Government notifies clause (23C)(iv) of section 10 recognition for Maharashtra State Women's Council, Mumbai, subject to conditions that income be applied or accumulated exclusively for its objects; investments and deposits be limited to modes specified in section 11(5) (except specified voluntary contributions); business income be excluded unless incidental and maintained in separate books; regular filing of income-tax returns; and on dissolution surplus assets transfer to a charitable organization with similar objectives.

Tax exemption recognition for Diocese subject to exclusive application of income, restricted investments, filing and dissolution conditions.
Notification under the clause (23C)(iv) of section 10 recognizes the Diocese of Aurangabad as eligible for income-tax exemption for specified assessment years, subject to conditions requiring exclusive application or lawful accumulation of income, permitted forms of investment, exclusion of non-incidental business income unless separately accounted, regular filing of income-tax returns, and transfer of surplus assets on dissolution to a similarly purposed charitable organization.

Anti-dumping duty on Vitamin C imports imposed to offset dumping and protect domestic industry, calculated against landed value.
Provisional anti-dumping duty imposed on Vitamin C (sub-heading 2936.27) imports following findings of dumping and material injury from exports originating in or exported from the United States and Canada; duty applies to all specifications and producers/exporters as per country-origin and country-export combinations, is computed as the difference between a specified per-unit dollar amount and the landed value (assessable value under the Customs Act excluding certain duties), is payable in Indian currency, and uses the Government-notified exchange rate with the bill of entry date as the relevant date.

Research exemption approval under section 35 requires separate research accounts and annual audited submissions to authorities.
Approval under section 35(1)(ii) is conditional on maintaining separate books for research, furnishing an annual return of scientific research activities to the Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research by the prescribed deadline, and submitting audited annual accounts and audited Income & Expenditure Account for the research activities to the Director General of Income-tax (Exemptions), the Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, and the Commissioner/Director of Income-tax (Exemptions), in addition to the institute's income-tax return; renewal applications must be made in triplicate through the tax exemptions authority and sent to the Secretary, DSIR.

Kimberley Process certificate requirement now mandates all rough diamond imports, with temporary acceptance of a letter of comfort for transition.
Imports of rough diamonds are conditioned on accompaniment of a Kimberley Process (KP) Certificate or a temporary letter of comfort issued under specified procedures; the Export and Import Policy and the ITC (HS) Classification are amended to add an import licensing note requiring such certification, and the letter of comfort is allowed only as a transitional alternative.