Authorization to permit purchase of excess FCV tobacco at designated auctions, subject to penalties and record requirements.
The Central Government authorizes the Tobacco Board to permit registered traders and dealers to purchase excess FCV tobacco from registered growers and FCV tobacco from unregistered growers at designated auction platforms in Karnataka up to 30 April 2009 under Section 20A read with clause (g) of sub section (2) of Section 8 of the Tobacco Board Act, 1975. Admission is conditional on payment of a penalty and service charges to the Tobacco Fund for specified crop seasons and on furnishing a copy of the Record of Rights for the 2007 crop, with a review provision if unauthorized cultivation persists.

Relaxation of tobacco regulations permits temporary sale of excess FCV tobacco at designated auction platforms in Andhra Pradesh.
Government relaxes statutory restrictions to permit sale of excess Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco of registered growers and unauthorized FCV tobacco of unregistered growers at Tobacco Board-designated auction platforms in Andhra Pradesh, as a temporary, time bound exception under delegated powers.

Authorization to purchase excess FCV tobacco at designated auctions subject to penalties and documentation for growers and traders
The Tobacco Board is authorized to allow registered traders and dealers to purchase excess FCV tobacco of registered growers and FCV tobacco of unregistered growers at designated auction platforms in Andhra Pradesh until 15th September, 2008, subject to payment of an extra per unit penalty fee and a percentage of sale proceeds as service charges to the Tobacco Fund and the furnishing of a copy of the Record of Rights for the 2008 tobacco crop; the penalty and charges will be reviewed if unauthorized cultivation continues.

Negative list amendments for paper products alter applicability of industrial concessions for specified paper manufacture and supplies.
Central Government notification amends the Negative List in Annexure III of the New Industrial Policy for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, specifying tariff headings and detailed descriptions of paper products excluded from concessions-covering pulp manufacture, newsprint, uncoated and coated writing and printing papers, kraft and carton papers, tissue and sanitary papers, composite and straw boards, carbon and self copy papers, coated laminates and cigarette paper, and specialty supplies such as Braille press indent supplies and process based manufacture qualifications.

Default treatment for defence personnel recurring deposits allows limited maturity extensions; discontinuance and constrained revival follow repeated defaults.
Amendment adds provisos to Rule 7(2) of the Post Office (Recurring Deposit) Rules, 1981, permitting personnel of Defence Services (excluding Civilian Defence Employees) with defaults up to a defined threshold to extend the maturity by months equal to the defaults and deposit missed installments during the extension; if defaults exceed that threshold the account is treated as discontinued and may be revived only within a short period from the relevant default month, subject to payment of interest and all defaulted installments.

Account eligibility clarified: illiterate and physically handicapped adults may hold single post office time deposit through a literate agent.
Amendment specifies Single Account holders under the Post Office Time Deposit Rules, 1981: (a) an adult; (b) an illiterate adult through a literate agent nominated by him or her; or (c) a blind or otherwise physically handicapped adult, either directly or through a literate agent nominated by him or her, by substituting the specified entries in sub rule (2) of rule 4, Table A (Individual Accounts).

Account holder eligibility updated: illiterate and physically handicapped adults may operate single post office savings accounts via literate agent.
The amendment to rule 4 of the Post Office Savings Account Rules, 1981, revises the Single Account entry to allow (a) an adult to operate the account; (b) an illiterate adult to operate the account through a literate agent nominated by them; and (c) a blind or otherwise physically handicapped adult to operate the account directly or through a literate agent nominated by them.

Electronic filing and service: authenticated electronic transmissions permitted; filing, fee, representation and extension rules clarified.
The Designs (Amendment) Rules, 2008 amend the Designs Rules, 2001 to permit authenticated electronic transmission, prepaid post or courier, fax and hand delivery for filing and service; prescribe A4 single sided durable representations including computer graphics and photographic mounting rules; revise fee payment methods and non refund policy and require fees to accompany documents; clarify extensions and abandonment for non completion; empower the Controller to enlarge time and accept digital signatures; and substantially revise forms, fee schedules and the classification of goods (Third Schedule) and add a Fifth Schedule certificate format.

Information Technology Investment Regions streamline approvals, infrastructure commitments and developer led master planning under central state coordination.
Establishes a policy to create Information Technology Investment Regions combining processing and non processing areas, mandating master plans, phased development and frozen notified land uses. Central Government will appraise and approve proposals, provide external infrastructure support and convene a High Powered Committee; State Governments must identify sites, carry out feasibility studies, ensure lawful land acquisition and constitute a Management Board to select developers, enforce the master plan, grant approvals and oversee implementation. Developers/co developers are selected via transparent RFQ/RFP procedures, must deliver internal infrastructure and comply with environmental, resettlement and security norms, while concession agreements govern transfers, penalties and arbitration.

Letter card specifications updated to expand weight allowance and prescribe dimensions, flap rules, paper grade and manufacture conditions.
Amendment to rule 10-A revises inland letter card standards by increasing the permissible weight, prescribing specific unfolded and folded dimensional requirements and detailed flap specifications, and imposing a minimum paper quality of 70 GSM. Privately manufactured letter cards are allowed if they are suitably folded and closed on all sides by gumming or any other effective process and comply with the prescribed dimensions, weight and material conditions. The amendment takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Raw hides and skins may be imported into India until 30 June 2008 against an authorised no objection certificate.
The amendment inserts a proviso permitting importation into India, until 30 June 2008, of raw hides and skins of bovine, equine, sheep, goat and swine, preserved in various states but not tanned, parchment dressed or further prepared, whether de-haired or split, against production of a no objection certificate from the officer-in-charge of Animal Quarantine and Certification Services at specified ports or any other duly authorised veterinary officer after inspection.

Newsprint Control Order amendment adds a Shah Paper Mills Unit to the manufacturers' Schedule, effective on publication.
The Central Government, under Section 18G of the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, issues the Newsprint Control (Amendment) Order, 2008, to add M/s. Shah Paper Mills Limited (Unit-III) at GIDC, Vapi, Valsad District, Gujarat to the Schedule of indigenous newsprint manufacturers in item 4 of the Newsprint Control Order, 2004; the Order takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Amendment to Newsprint Control Order adds an indigenous mill to the Schedule, updating authorized manufacturers.
The Newsprint Control (Amendment) Order, 2008 amends the Schedule to the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 by adding an entry to item 4 after Sl. No. 82, listing M/s. Shree Chakra Papers (P) Limited and its mill location in Ragampeta Village, Peddapuram Mandal, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh; the Order is effective on publication in the Official Gazette.

National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standards constituted to advise the Central Government on accounting policies and standards adoption.
Constitutes the National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standards under Section 210A of the Companies Act, 1956 to advise the Central Government on formulation and adoption of accounting policies and standards; and specifies the committee's composition of named chairperson and members nominated from professional bodies, regulators, government and industry, with appointments effective from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Newsprint control amendment adds an indigenous mill to the Schedule, altering registered manufacturers list for regulatory supply.
The Newsprint Control (Amendment) Order, 2008 amends the Schedule of the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 by adding S.No.82: M/s. Shree Krishna Paper Mills & Industries Limited, Keswana, Jaipur, Rajasthan, as an indigenous newsprint manufacturer; the amendment is made under statutory authority and takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Livestock product imports: certain raw and processed animal goods now face a two-tier permit/NOC exemption and inspection regime.
The notification amendment adds four categories of raw animal products (hair/bristles and wastes; bird skins and feathers; raw hides and skins of bovine, equine and small ruminants and other raw skins; raw furskins) and creates a two-tier import authorisation regime: paragraph 3(I) exempts specified products from a sanitary import permit but requires a No Objection Certificate from designated quarantine officers after inspection; paragraph 3(II) lists articles exempt from both sanitary import permit and No Objection Certificate. The amendment is effective on publication.

Transitional liability recognition: irrevocable choice to adjust reserves or amortise increase, with limits on actuarial gain recognition.
Amendments to AS 15 require that unrecognised parts of transitional liability be considered when accounting for subsequent actuarial gains; curtailment or settlement gains or losses must include a proportionate share of previously unrecognised past service cost and transitional amounts determined by change in present value of obligations; and where transitional liability exceeds previously recognised liability an irrevocable choice must be made to adjust opening reserves immediately or amortise the increase over up to five years, with specified disclosure, measurement limits and caps on recognition of subsequent actuarial gains.

Exemptions to Right to Information updated: specified intelligence and financial units substituted and one schedule entry omitted.
Central Government notification exercises delegated rulemaking power under the Right to Information Act to amend the Second Schedule by substituting the entries at serial numbers 16, 17 and 18 and omitting the entry at serial number 22, thereby updating which public authorities are listed in the Schedule.

Reservation removal for small scale manufacturing: specified items derecognised from exclusive reserve list, effective on publication.
The Central Government, under section 29B, directs omission of specified serial numbers from Schedule III listing items reserved for exclusive manufacture in small scale sector, removing those items from reservation; the amendment follows Advisory Committee recommendations and takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Amendment to Newsprint Control Order adds an indigenous mill to the Schedule, effective on Gazette publication.
The Central Government, under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, amends the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 by inserting a new entry in the Schedule to add an indigenous newsprint manufacturer with its name and location; the amendment takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette and is recorded against the notifying file reference.