Pneumatic tyres and tubes: 612 tyre sizes listed as not domestically manufactured, permitted for import by OEMs for replacement.
A Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion office memorandum states that, under Sub clauses (a)-(f) of Clause 3 of the Pneumatic Tyres and Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2009, a Committee under Sub clause (f) has finalized a list of 612 tyre sizes and types not manufactured domestically. Those tyres are designated to be imported by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for sale in the replacement market through their authorized dealers. The memorandum supersedes the prior O.M. of even number dated 23.09.2014 and encloses the list (also published on the Department website).

Depository receipts issuance: framework for issuing foreign-listed receipts with foreign-holding limits and domestic compliance obligations.
The Scheme permits Indian issuers, other issuers of permissible securities, and holders to issue or transfer permissible securities to a foreign depository in a permissible jurisdiction for issuance of depository receipts. It requires compliance with foreign holding limits under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, pricing norms aligned with corresponding domestic issuance (including ICDR norms), and subject-to-limit conversion between receipts and underlying securities. Domestic custodians and Indian depositories must maintain records, report transactions, and provide information to regulators; approvals applicable to transfers to non-residents apply to transfers to foreign depositories.

Livestock product imports require sanitary import permits, risk analysis, inspections, and specified port entry and obligations.
The notification lists the categories of "livestock products" subject to import control and requires import only against a sanitary import permit issued after a detailed import risk analysis based on internationally recognised scientific principles; the permit prescribes pre shipment certifications, quarantine, sampling and testing, post import requirements, differential validity for processed and unprocessed products, specified port entries and inspection regimes, exemptions for certain categories via No Objection Certificates or no certificate, and importer obligations for presentation, treatment and removal.

Definition of Appropriate Authority expanded to specify eligible departmental officers and nominated officers for standards enforcement.
Amendment substitutes the definition of "Appropriate Authority" to specify that it includes officers not below stipulated mid-level ranks in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion or the road transport ministry, officers not below the rank of General Manager in a State or Union Territory District Industries Centre, and appropriate officers nominated by the Director General of the standards body.

Statutory wage ceiling increase prompts new notifications setting higher minimum pension and enhanced EDLI relief; implementational directives issued.
The government issued notifications enhancing the statutory wage ceiling, fixing a prescribed minimum monthly pension and granting additional relief on assurance benefits under the EDLI Scheme, 1976, and directed Employees Provident Fund Organisation field offices and regional/zonal commissioners to implement these changes in letter and spirit.

Private participation in rail infrastructure enabled; specified project types and assets opened to non-public sector development.
The Central Government substitutes item 8 in Schedule-I to provide that railway operations are reserved for the public sector except for specified activities which are excluded from reservation: suburban corridor PPPs, high speed train projects, dedicated freight lines, rolling stock manufacture and maintenance, railway electrification, signalling systems, freight and passenger terminals, industrial-park railway infrastructure including electrified connectivities, and mass rapid transport systems.

Trademark fee amendment increases prescribed filing fees and updates specified form fees upon Gazette publication.
Amendment substitutes higher fee amounts for specified entries in the First Schedule and updates fee entries in designated forms of the Second Schedule to the Trade Marks Rules, 2002; it is titled the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules, 2014 and commences on publication in the Official Gazette following prior draft publication and absence of public objections.

RTI Second Schedule amendment lists two Cabinet Secretariat agencies, affecting disclosure exemptions under the Act.
Notification under section 24(2) amends the Second Schedule of the Right to Information Act, 2005 by substituting the existing entries at serial numbers 7 and 8 with entries naming the Aviation Research Centre and the Special Frontier Force of the Cabinet Secretariat, thereby listing these agencies among those subject to the Act's disclosure-exemption framework.

Manufacture of notified manufactured drugs now excludes preparations from lawfully possessed materials and is subject to rule 36.
Rule 37(1) is substituted to provide that the manufacture of manufactured drugs notified under the Act is subject to the provisions of rule 36 and does not include preparations containing any manufactured drug made from materials which the maker is lawfully entitled to possess.

National Rubber Policy: Expert Committee formed to assess rubber supply, production and recommend policy measures promptly.
An Expert Committee, chaired by the Additional Secretary (Plantations), Department of Commerce and serviced by the Rubber Board, is constituted to formulate a National Rubber Policy. Its Terms of Reference require a review of growth and ten-year demand-supply prospects for NR, SR and RR; assessment of import impacts; review of procurement, sale and import methods; recommendations on policy instruments to insulate growers from production and price risk; measures to expand cultivation and improve productivity; proposals on incentives, taxation, foreign trade licensing and welfare measures. The Committee may co-opt experts and must submit a draft policy and report promptly.

Spouse continuation rights allow spouse to continue senior citizen savings accounts; non-continuing accounts closed and deposits refunded.
The amendment inserts provisos to Rule 8(3) allowing the spouse, in a joint account or where the spouse is sole nominee, to continue the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme account on the same terms; if the spouse does not continue the joint account the account shall be closed on application in Form F and the deposit refunded with interest.

Resource allocation for successor states: Commission to account for reorganized state's resources and recommend fiscal measures.
The Order amends the Commission's remit to require that it take into account the resources available to successor or reorganized States on reorganization of Andhra Pradesh and make recommendations for those States on matters under reference, pursuant to the constitutional fiscal mandate and enabling statute.

Special Investigation Team powers to investigate, initiate proceedings and repatriate unaccounted foreign bank monies from abroad.
A Special Investigation Team is constituted with chair, vice-chair and senior agency members, empowered to investigate, initiate proceedings and prosecute criminal or civil matters concerning unaccounted monies-including Hassan Ali Khan and Tapuria matters, other instances of stashing funds in foreign bank accounts, and related issues. The SIT will prepare an action plan and institutional structures, investigate sources and methods used to move funds, may reopen or register cases even after charge-sheets, report periodically to the Supreme Court, and receive cooperation and resources from central and state organs; the Joint Secretary (Revenue) is Member-Secretary.

Pension regulation amendment reduces qualifying period under regulation 50 to one year and takes effect on publication.
Amendment substitutes "two years" with "one year" in regulation 50, in both sub regulation (1) and sub regulation (6), thereby reducing the temporal threshold established by those clauses; the regulation is made by the Bank's Board after consultation and prior sanction and takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Register of shareholders closure for dividend entitlement; transfers suspended to fix the record for payment purposes.
Closure of the Register of Shareholders to determine dividend entitlement for 2013-2014 with transfers suspended during the specified inclusive period, fixing the record for payment of dividend and preventing registration of share transfers for that interval.

Repayment period for securities set at a ten-year term with no moratorium and payments on a half yearly basis.
Amendment adds sub rule (12) to rule 9 prescribing that the period of repayment by the Centre and States shall be ten years with no moratorium and that payments on the securities shall be made on a half yearly basis.

Patent fees revised: physical filings attract 10% extra; new small entity definition requires Form 28 for fee concessions.
The amendments define "small entity" linked to MSME investment thresholds, require submission of Form 28 with fee bearing documents to claim small entity status, and insert Form 7A for oppositions. They replace the First and Fourth Schedules with revised, itemised fee tables distinguishing e filing and physical filing (physical filings attract a ten percent additional fee), separate rates for natural persons, persons other than natural persons, small entities and others, and require payment of any fee differential when ownership transfers from a small entity to a non small entity.

Amendment to Newsprint Control Order adds an indigenous newsprint mill to the Schedule, expanding authorised manufacturers list.
The Newsprint Control (Amendment) Order, 2014 amends the Schedule to the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 by adding entry No. 119: M/s. Venkatachalapathi Paper Mills Pvt. Ltd., Anna Nagar, East Chennai, thereby expanding the list of indigenous newsprint manufacturers; the Order takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Newsprint control amendment adds an indigenous mill to the authorised manufacturers list upon Gazette publication.
The Central Government amends the Newsprint Control Order, 2004 by adding a new Schedule entry: S. No.118, M/s. Sri Vishnu Annaamalaiyar Paper Mills Ltd., Karaikudi, thereby recognising that mill as an indigenous newsprint manufacturer. The amendment, promulgated as the Newsprint Control (Amendment) Order, 2014 (S.O. 411(E)), is effective on publication in the Official Gazette and is issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Extension of SEBI Chairman appointment continued for a limited tenure subject to age and further orders.
The Central Government, invoking Sub Section (1)(a) of Section 4 of the SEBI Act read with Rule 3 of the SEBI (Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairman and Members) Rules, 1992, extends Shri U. K. Sinha's appointment as Chairman of SEBI effective 18 February 2014. The extension is for two years, but will cease earlier if he attains sixty five years of age or if further orders are issued, whichever occurs first.