Tax exemption for Agra Development Authority effective assessment year 2024-25, subject to statutory purpose conditions.
Notifies Agra Development Authority (PAN AAALA0081F) as eligible for exemption of specified income under the Income-tax Act, on the basis that it is constituted under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning & Development Act. The notification is effective from assessment year 2024-25, conditional on the Authority continuing to meet the statutory purpose requirements set out in the exemption clause; an explanatory memorandum certifies no person is adversely affected by retrospective effect from the year of application.

Barnala Improvement Trust notified for tax exemption on specified income, effective from assessment year 2024-25.
The Central Government notifies the Barnala Improvement Trust, constituted under the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922, as an authority for the purpose of tax exemption on specified income under clause (46A) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, effective from the assessment year 2024-25, subject to the condition that the Trust continues to be a local authority with one or more purposes specified in sub-clause (a) of clause (46A).

Aligarh Development Authority tax exemption notified under section 10(46A), effective AY 2025 26, subject to statutory purpose condition.
Central Government notifies Aligarh Development Authority as eligible for the specified income tax exemption, effective assessment year 2025 26, on condition that it continues to be an authority constituted under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973 and performs one or more of the purposes specified in the relevant exemption clause; explanatory memorandum states no person is adversely affected by retrospective effect from the year of application.

Valuation of specified tobacco and nicotine products: retail sale price declared becomes basis for taxable value under amendment
An amendment adds a clause treating supplies of specified tobacco and nicotine-related goods as valuated on the basis of the retail sale price declared on packaged goods; it lists the covered goods, defines retail sale price (including multiple prices, altered prices, and area-specific prices), and adopts interpretation rules of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act for tariff terms.

Wheat flour exports remain prohibited, but up to 5 LMT allowed under DGFT export authorisation and notified modalities.
Export of wheat and related flours under HS Code 1101 remains prohibited, but export of up to 5 LMT is permitted under an Export Authorisation issued by DGFT pursuant to modalities to be notified separately; existing policy conditions and prior notifications continue to apply except for this quantified allowance.

GST rate revision for tobacco products and biris reclassifies specified goods across tax schedules and omits the 14% entries.
Bihar GST rate notification amends the State tax rate schedule under the Bihar Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. Biris are inserted in Schedule II at 9%, while pan masala, unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco refuse other than tobacco leaves, cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes, other manufactured tobacco and tobacco substitutes other than biris, and products containing tobacco or nicotine substitutes intended for inhalation without combustion are inserted in Schedule III at 20%. The notification also omits the entries in Schedule VII at 14%, thereby revising the applicable rate structure for specified tobacco and related goods.

Electronic postal export declarations require revised forms, scheme-specific eligibility declarations, audit records, and electronic processing for all postal exports.
Electronic Postal Bills of Export are substituted for e-commerce postal exports and other postal exports. The forms require exporter, consignee, parcel, product, invoice, valuation, classification, duty, tax and postal tracking information, with additional e-commerce disclosures in Form PBE-III. Where drawback, RoDTEP or RoSCTL is claimed, exporters must provide scheme-related details and make prescribed declarations on eligibility, non-duplication of relief, compliance and audit records. Exporters must also undertake foreign-exchange compliance, certify submitted information, and file electronically.

Fixation of tariff values for edible oils, brass scrap, areca nut, and specified gold and silver imports.
Substitutes Tables 1-3 in the principal customs notification to fix unit tariff values in US dollars for specified imported goods - edible oils, brass scrap, areca nuts, and specified forms of gold and silver - under the powers of sub-section (2) of section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, with the amendments taking effect the day after issuance.

Exports by post: duty credit issuance permitted via electronic entries processed on the customs automated system.
Amendment expands duty credit issuance to include electronic entries for exports by post alongside shipping bills and bills of export, substitutes clause to cover issuance where an order permitting clearance and loading for exportation has been made, inserts a requirement that exports through foreign post offices allow electronic presentation and processing on the customs automated system, and amends the Explanation to paragraph 6 and the table entry against Sl. No. 13 for consistency.

RoDTEP scheme duty credits for exports by post now allowed via electronic entry and automated processing.
The notification amends the RoDTEP procedural rules to add explicit recognition of entries made electronically for exports by post under section 84 alongside shipping bills and bills of export, substitutes clause (d) to cover electronic entries where clearance and loading orders are made, inserts sub paragraph (5A) confirming exports through foreign post offices processed on the customs automated system, and updates the Explanation to paragraph 6 and the table entry against Sl. No. 13 to reflect these inclusions.

Customs drawback rules now treat postal export entries under section 84 as drawback claims upon EDI receipt when clearance is permitted.
Amendments add export entries made under section 84 for exports by post to the Drawback Rules, inserting those entries alongside bills of export in rules 8 and 13 and altering rule headings. Rule 14 now provides that an electronic entry under section 84 for exports by post is deemed to be a claim for drawback when received on the Electronic Data Interchange after the proper officer permits clearance and loading, and such deemed claim must be retained by that officer.

Mutual funds regulations set registration, governance, investment limits, trustee oversight, NAV, expense caps and enforcement rules.
These regulations create a comprehensive regime for mutual funds, specifying procedures for obtaining a certificate of registration, detailed eligibility and continuous net worth requirements for sponsors and AMCs, trustee duties to supervise AMCs and protect unitholders, operational obligations for AMCs (systems, key personnel, co investment and broker limits), investment categories and restrictions, daily NAV computation, expense ratio caps and disclosure requirements, tailored regimes for Specialized Investment Funds and Mutual Fund Lite, and Board powers for inspection, enforcement and regulatory relief.

West Bengal Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board granted tax exemption for specified welfare income, subject to compliance.
Notification under section 10(46) notifies the West Bengal Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board as exempt in respect of cess collected under the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act; registration fees and yearly subscriptions from registered workers; grants in aid and loans from Government; and interest from investments, subject to conditions prohibiting commercial activity, requiring unchanged activities and income character, and mandated return filing under clause (g) of subsection (4C) of section 139.

Bhogapuram airport designated for unloading imported goods and loading export goods under customs notification amendment.
Insertion of entry (d) Bhogapuram into the Table of Notification No. 61/94-Customs (N.T.) designates Bhogapuram airport in Andhra Pradesh for the unloading of imported goods and the loading of export goods or any class of such goods, under powers granted by section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962.

Credit rating agency regulations amended to permit Board specified activities and ratings under other regulators' purview.
Regulation 9(f) is amended to permit credit rating agencies to carry out any other activities as specified by the Board and to carry out ratings of financial instruments under the purview of other financial sector regulators or authorities specified by the Board. The substituted Explanation requires ratings to be in accordance with the respective rating guidelines specified by the relevant regulator or authority and remain under that regulator's purview. The existing proviso to clause (f) is omitted.

Renewal of recognition to AMC Repo Clearing Limited for one year, limited to repo clearing and settlement in debt securities.
Renewal of recognition is granted to AMC Repo Clearing Limited for one year from 17 January 2026 to 16 January 2027, under the statutory recognition framework, subject to compliance with conditions prescribed by rules or specified by the regulator, and on the proviso that the Clearing Corporation shall undertake only clearing and settling of repo and reverse repo transactions in debt securities dealt with or traded on a recognized stock exchange.

National Financial Reporting Authority appoints four specified part-time members under amended appointment rules, effective on Gazette publication.
Amendment revises rule 2 of the 2022 appointment rules to substitute four named part-time members-a Joint Secretary (Ministry of Corporate Affairs), the Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the Chief Financial Officer (Reserve Bank of India), and an Executive Director (SEBI). The rules are made under the Companies Act authority and take effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Export and import of goods and services: declarations, timelines, authorised dealer oversight, and mandatory reporting requirements.
These Regulations require exporters to submit an Export Declaration Form (EDF), prescribe fifteen month realisation timelines (eighteen months if invoiced in INR), empower Authorised Dealers to verify genuineness, update/close EDPMS/IDPMS entries, permit limited declaration based closures for small values, allow extensions, reductions, set off and third party payments where bona fides are shown, and mandate Authorised Dealers to maintain SOPs and report transactions in FETERS.

Tariff values for edible oils, brass scrap, areca nut, gold and silver fixed and made operative from the commencement date.
Substitution of Tables 1-3 in the principal Customs (N.T.) notification fixing tariff values in US dollars for specified imported commodities-edible oils, brass scrap, areca nut, and defined forms of gold and silver-with explanatory notes on covered forms and exclusions; the amendment is made under section 14(2) of the Customs Act, 1962 and the new values take effect from the stated commencement date.

Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority appoints an Executive Director as an ex officio Member under Companies Act powers.
The Central Government, exercising powers under sections 125(5) and 125(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rules 5 and 7 of the IEPF Authority Rules, 2016, substitutes serial number 3 of the principal notification to designate Smt. Sonali Sen Gupta, Executive Director, as an ex officio Member of the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority.