Exemption under section 35AC: awareness and rehabilitation scheme of Dr. Vidya Sagar Hospital specified as eligible and extended.
Central Government specified under clause (b) of the Explanation to section 35AC that the awareness and rehabilitation programmes for drug addicts and alcoholics run by Dr. Vidya Sagar Hospital, New Delhi, are an eligible project; the National Committee recommended and the Government approved an extension of the specified period and an upward revision of the estimated project cost, maintaining the project's entitlement to exemption under the provision.

Tax deduction benefit amended to increase approved project cost for a nonprofit project's eligibility under the relevant notification.
Amendment to the notification under Section 35AC replaces the previously recorded project cost and the maximum approved cost for the named beneficiary by substituting the earlier figures with updated figures in both the project description column and the approved maximum-cost column of the notification table.

Section 35AC amendment revises notified project description to include maintenance of ophthalmology and second and third ENT phases.
Amendment under the Income-tax Act substitutes the phrase in column 2 of the cited notification so that the project description expressly covers maintenance of Ophthalmology and the second and third phases of the ENT Department, thereby revising the enumerated scope of the notified project for purposes of eligibility under section 35AC.

Companies Act amendment replaces 'fees payable' with 'fees paid', altering fee treatment and taking effect on publication.
Amendment to paragraph 1.3 of Schedule X to the Companies Act substitutes the words "the increased share capital and the fees payable on such date" with "the increased share capital and the fees paid on such date", effected by central government exercise of its amendment power, and the change takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.

Removal of warehoused goods designated for Mathura Refinery including Barari Village allowed without payment of duty
The Central Government amends the cited notification to substitute item (zzb) in paragraph 2, clause (i), formally designating Mathura Refinery including Barari Village as a specified location for the removal of warehoused goods without payment of duty, under sub rule (2) of rule 49 and rule 139 of the Central Excise Rules, 1944.

Specified bonds under section 80L: designation of secured redeemable non convertible bonds issued by NHPC as qualifying instruments.
Central Government specifies, under clause (ii) of sub section (1) of section 80L of the Income tax Act, two series of seven year taxable secured redeemable non convertible bonds issued by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (a 13 per cent series and a 13.25 per cent series), identifying their denomination, distinctive numbering ranges and aggregate issue amounts, and thereby designating those instruments for the purposes of the cited clause.

Tax-free bonds specified as exempt under section 10(15)(iv)(h), issued by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, require holder registration.
Central Government specifies tax-exempt secured redeemable non-convertible J-series bonds issued by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation as within the exemption in clause (iv)(h) of clause (15) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, subject to a condition that the exemption is admissible only if the holder registers his or her name and holding with the issuing corporation.

Specification of sport archery under section 10(23) confirms tax recognition by the Central Government for the sport.
The Central Government, exercising powers under clause (23) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act, specified archery as a recognised sport for the purposes of that clause by Notification S.O.1720 dated 14-6-1995, identifying archery among activities qualifying under the statutory exemption category.

Excise exemption for specified inputs where used in fertiliser plant operations, subject to defined process based conditions.
The Central Government amends Notifications Nos. 75/84-C.E. and 7/94-C.E. under section 5A(1) of the Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944 to insert new tariff entries exempting naphtha and low sulphur heavy stock for use in fertiliser plants during shut-down and start-up periods, and exempting sulphuric acid and ammonia when used in fertiliser-plant processes of demineralisation of water and refrigeration and purification respectively.

Customs exemption: substitution of entry to exempt office equipments, spares and consumables under amended notifications.
Central Government directs amendment of ten Customs exemption notifications by substituting, in each specified notification's Table or Annexure, the entry at the listed serial numbers with the wording "Office equipments, spares and consumables thereof." to standardise the exempt description under the Customs tariff notifications.

Wastage norms for jewellery: authorised percentage losses and mint conversion procedure now specified under customs exemption.
The amendment deletes condition (v); allows gold scrap, dust or sweepings to be sent to the Government Mint for conversion into standard gold bars and return under Commissioner specified procedure; empowers the Assistant Commissioner of Customs to allow specified percentage losses of gold or silver during jewellery manufacture according to the Table linked to jewellery description and value addition bands; clarifies mountings/findings wastage admissibility and application of gold norms to platinum; and substitutes serial No. 11 description to "Office equipments, spares and consumables thereof."

Processing loss allowances for jewellery exports revised to set tiered wastage limits and extend norms to platinum.
The notification revises customs exemptions to set tiered wastage allowances for exported gold mountings and findings and for plain/studded silver jewellery based on bands of value addition. It adds an Explanation that admissibility of wastage for mountings and findings is limited to items manufactured from imported metal and exported as such, and that gold jewellery wastage norms apply mutatis mutandis to platinum plain/studded jewellery and articles.

Temporary import of scientific equipment: amendment removes paragraph two of the governing customs exemption notification.
Central Government, invoking powers under sub section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962, amends the customs exemption for temporary import of scientific equipment by omitting paragraph 2 of Notification No.13/81 Cus; the amendment is effected by Notification No.114/95 Cus dated 8 6 1995 as necessary in the public interest.

Air-conditioned coaches exemption narrowed; cars removed and CIF-value test confined to coaches by notification amendment.
The notification amends the exemption to restrict its scope to air-conditioned coaches imported by specified importers for tourist transport, removing air-conditioned cars from the description and specifying that the exemption covers the whole of the additional duty leviable under the Customs Tariff Act for coaches. It further replaces the previous CIF-value thresholds for cars and coaches with a single CIF-value cap applicable only to air-conditioned coaches per vehicle.

Customs exemption for potassium sulphate and composite fertilisers: import duty waived by amendment to existing notification.
Amendment to the customs notification substitutes tariff table entries to exempt potassium sulphate (containing not more than 52% K2O) and composite fertilisers by specifying Nil duty ratings for those items under the revised Sl. Nos. in the annexed Table.

Change in designation of excise authorities: references to former office titles now read as updated official designations in statutes.
The Central Government directs that references in rules, notifications, decisions and orders under the Central Excises and Salt Act to specified office titles shall, unless context requires otherwise, be construed as references to newly substituted designations, listing specific replacements that convert collector-level and subordinate collector titles into commissioner-level and equivalent designations.

Duty exemption on capital goods under EPCG scheme subject to export obligation compliance and duty regularisation consequences.
Nil customs duty and exemption from additional customs duty beyond a capped rate of ten percent apply to capital goods, components and specified spare parts imported under a valid EPCG licence, subject to production of the licence, execution of a bond securing an export obligation (based on CIF or net foreign exchange multiples), installation and use of the capital goods at the importer's premises, blockwise fulfilment of export obligations over prescribed periods with set-off rules, and duty regularisation with interest for shortfalls or non compliance.

Concessional duty for EPCG imports: reduced customs liability subject to export obligation compliance and security bond.
The notification allows imports of capital goods, components and limited spare parts under the EPCG Scheme to pay customs duty only up to a 15% ad valorem rate and exempts specified additional duties, conditional on production of a valid EPCG licence, execution of a bond to fulfil an export obligation equal to four times CIF value within five years with yearwise obligations and evidence of compliance, payment of duty and interest for shortfalls, installation certification of capital goods, and limited provisions for extension or condonation of shortfalls.

Import exemption amendment adds "rendering services" to capital goods components notification, expanding customs exemption scope administratively.
The Central Government, under sub section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962, amends Notification No. 161/92 Cus. by adding sub clause (c) to clause (i) of the Explanation, expressly including "rendering services" among activities covered for the purposes of imports of components for the manufacture of capital goods.

Import licence cutoff date set for capital-goods exemptions; licences must have been issued on or before the specified deadline.
The Central Government amends Notification Nos. 160/92-Cus., 307/92-Cus. and 122/93-Cus. by substituting the wording in condition (i) of each so that qualification depends on the import licence having been issued on or before 30th April, 1995.