Customs tariff amendment: concessional duty for specified newspaper-grade uncoated paper subject to RNI-registered importer eligibility.
Creates a tariff entry for uncoated newspaper-printing paper meeting specified fibre, sizing, surface roughness and weight criteria with concessional duty treatment, and substitutes Annexure Condition No.20A to require that the importer be registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India at the time of import to qualify for the concessional treatment.

Anti-dumping duty continuation on Vitamin C extended under statutory review, preserving import measures through a renewed expiry.
The Central Government amended the principal customs notification imposing anti-dumping duty on Vitamin C originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China by inserting a paragraph that the notification shall remain in force up to and inclusive of a renewed expiry date unless revoked earlier, exercising powers under the Customs Tariff Act and applicable anti-dumping rules following a statutory review and request for extension.

Notice periods reduced for pan masala packing machines; duty calculation and cessation rules tightened with deemed-operation provisions.
Amendments shorten notice and processing periods for capacity and duty procedures, provide a pro rata duty calculation and specified refund and payment timelines where a manufacturer permanently ceases work (excluding cessation of one or two shifts), and treat packing machines found in unregistered units as deemed operational from an earlier date unless contrary evidence is provided, for determining duty liability.

Tax exemption withdrawal for diplomatic missions and diplomats, affecting luxury tax applicability, takes immediate effect under statutory power.
The Government withdraws the exemption previously granted to the Russian Embassy, its consulates and diplomats in India, and to the Bangladesh High Commission/posts and diplomats in India, under the powers conferred by sub section (1) of Section 22 of the Delhi Tax on Luxuries Act, 1996, as amended. The departmental notification gives the withdrawal immediate effect and formalises removal of the prior relief from the luxury tax regime.

Diplomatic VAT exemptions updated: new TECC entry, Ecuador threshold revised, Russia removed, Bangladesh exceptions clarified.
Amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004 inserts Taipei Economic & Cultural Centre (TECC), deletes the Russia entry, substitutes the Ecuador entry to prescribe a revised minimum invoice value for VAT exemption/refund, and substitutes the Bangladesh entry to specify exceptions limiting exemptions for certain hotel, restaurant, utility and personal purchases. The changes are effective immediately and directed to concerned administrative and VAT authorities for implementation.

Designation of SEZ as Inland Container Depot under customs law confers deemed ICD status and customs treatment.
The Central Government appointed 16th October 2008 as the commencement date for a sector-specific Special Economic Zone for hardware and software at specified villages in Kancheepuram District, and by notification declared the SEZ developed by M/s. Platinum Holdings Private Limited to be deemed to be Inland Container Depot under section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, thereby conferring ICD status for customs purposes.

Approval Committee constituted for sector-specific SEZ for hardware and software, prescribing ex officio members and developer invitee.
Constitutes an Approval Committee for the sector-specific Special Economic Zone for hardware and software at specified villages in Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, developed by M/s. Platinum Holdings Private Limited; names the Development Commissioner of the SEZ as Chairperson (ex officio), lists ex officio members from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Zonal JDGFT, Customs/Central Excise, Income Tax, Ministry of Finance (Banking), state industry and development corporation representatives, and designates the developer's representative as special invitee.

Special Economic Zone designation enables a sector specific hardware and software zone following statutory approval and land listing.
Notification designates parcels in Navallur and Semmencherry villages, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, as a sector specific Special Economic Zone for hardware and software following an application by Platinum Holdings Private Limited and grant of a letter of approval after statutory prerequisites were found satisfied; the notification lists the relevant survey numbers and land extents and is issued under the Central Government's powers pursuant to the SEZ Rules for development and operation of the SEZ.

Tariff value amendment: substituted notification fixes tariff values and updates entries for poppy seeds and brass scrap.
The Board substitutes the Table in Notification No.36/2001-Cus (N.T.) to fix tariff values for listed goods, preserving existing values for various palm oil and palmolein headings and specifying tariff values for brass scrap (all grades) and poppy seeds; the substituted table becomes the operative reference for customs valuation and fixation of tariff values under the notification framework.

Anti-dumping duty continuation extended pending review under statutory powers, notification remains in force until further order under procedure.
Exercising powers under section 9A and rule 23, the Central Government amends Notification No.84/2004-Customs to insert a provision preserving the anti-dumping duty on Chloroquine phosphate originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China, keeping the principal notification in force for the period of the statutory review unless revoked earlier.

Special Economic Zone designation altered: specified land parcels added and others de notified changing the SEZ area composition.
Notification amending a sector specific SEZ for information technology, hardware and bio informatics at Mahindra World City by adding specified parcels totalling 8.65.50 hectares and de notifying specified parcels totalling 6.63 hectares. The Central Government, acting under the second proviso to Section 4 of the SEZ Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, records statutory satisfaction, references prior approval letters, and lists affected survey numbers and hectare measurements in Tables A and B to effect the change.

Ban exemption for non-basmati rice exports permits STC-led shipments under conditional sourcing and price-stability safeguards.
Ban on export of non-basmati rice is not applicable for exports to specified countries subject to fixed quantities and conditions: exports must be carried out through the State Trading Corporation (STC); STC shall procure from mills with surplus rice/paddy; the rice must have a minimum proportion of brokens; STC must ensure market entry does not affect overall rice prices; and STC must source from multiple States and export in four tranches.

Extension of statutory time limit for compliance under foreign contribution rules, increasing the prescribed filing period.
The Central Government, under Section 30 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976, amends rule 8(2) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 1976 by substituting the words "within four months" with "within nine months"; the amendment takes effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.

Removal of reserved items from the small-scale sector list alters exclusive manufacture eligibility, effective on publication.
The Central Government amends the list of items reserved for exclusive manufacture in the small scale sector by omitting specified serial numbers and their entries from Schedule III of the 1991 notification, acting on Advisory Committee recommendations; the amendment takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Permitted cash payment exceptions clarified, listing specified banks, electronic transfers, producer purchases, and village payments.
Enumerates exceptions to the general prohibition on cash payments above the prescribed threshold for tax disallowance: payments to specified banks, credit societies and the national life insurer; Government payments required in legal tender; transfers through banking instruments and electronic systems; adjustments against liabilities; purchases of agricultural, animal husbandry, fish, horticulture, apiculture and cottage-industry products from producers; payments in bankless localities; specified employee terminal benefits and temporary salary payments lacking local bank accounts; payments on bank-closed days; agent cash disbursements; and authorised dealer or money changer foreign-currency purchases.

Import licensing requirement: rough agglomerated stone blocks and slabs now subject to specified policy-circular import conditions.
An amendment inserts an import licensing note at the end of Chapter 68 making import of rough or unprocessed blocks and slabs of agglomerated or artificial stones subject to the conditions in Policy Circular No.34(RE-08)/2004-2009, Policy Circular No.35(RE-2008)/2004-2009, and the subsequent Policy Circulars No.66(RE-2008)/2004-09 and No.68(RE-2008)/2004-09, under powers conferred by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 and the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09.

Tax treaty amendment: substitution of specified financial institution name, affecting interest exemption from taxation, effective by notification.
Amendment substitutes "International business unit of Japan Finance Corporation" for "Japan Bank for International Cooperation" in the list of government owned financial institutions exempt from tax on interest under the Convention; effected by notification under domestic treaty implementation powers and deemed to have taken effect from 1st October, 2008.

Jurisdictional extension for CNG manufacturers: commissioner's jurisdiction extends to entire Chief Commissioner's area for single-registered multi-premises manufacturers.
Amendment provides that where a person manufactures Compressed Natural Gas under tariff item 2711 and has a single registration for more than one premises, the jurisdiction of the Commissioner shall extend to the entire jurisdiction of the concerned Chief Commissioner of Central Excise as specified in Table I for that manufacturer.

Single registration for multiple Compressed Natural Gas premises allowed, subject to prior intimation before starting additional premises.
The amendment permits single registration for a person manufacturing Compressed Natural Gas when multiple premises fall within one Chief Commissioner's jurisdiction; the person may obtain one registration from any Commissioner under that Chief Commissioner by submitting details of all premises with the application, provided prior intimation is given before commencing any additional premises, and existing registered assessees may apply for fresh registration or amend registration accordingly.

SAFTA duty exemption: full customs relief for listed imports from specified SAFTA countries, subject to proof of origin compliance.
Notification No.107/2008 grants tariff concessions on specified Chapter/heading/tariff items for imports from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal under SAFTA, providing full concession for the items listed in the annexed Table. The exemption applies to the portion of the applied rate of duty noted against each entry and is conditional on the importer proving to the satisfaction of the Deputy or Assistant Commissioner of Customs that the goods meet the Rules of Determination of Origin under the SAFTA Agreement, 2006; the notification also records later percentage substitutions and that it was superseded by Notification No.85/2011.