Excise exemption for specified pan masala retail packs limits duty to that based on half the declared maximum retail price.
Exemption limits excise duty on specified pan masala retail packages by exempting duty in excess of that calculated on value equal to fifty per cent of the declared maximum retail price. Eligibility is confined to packs within prescribed weight bands (up to two grams; more than two up to four grams) subject to corresponding maximum retail price caps, with "maximum retail price" as defined in the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977.

Small Scale Exemption amendment expands exempt fabrics list by adding uncut grey woven weft pile cotton fabrics.
The Central Government, invoking the statutory power under sub-section (1) of section 5A of the Central Excise Act, amends item No. 2 of the Annexure to Notification No. 16/97-C.E. by substituting the phrase "Fabrics of cotton or man made fibres falling under sub-heading No. 5802.51" with the expanded wording adding "Uncut grey (unprocessed) woven weft pile fabrics of cotton manufactured from grey (unprocessed) cotton yarn, falling under sub-heading No. 5801.21; fabrics of cotton or man made fibres falling under sub-heading No. 5802.51."

Excise duty amendment updates exemptions and effective duty rates for specified goods and revises eligibility conditions for benefits.
Amendment revises the tariff table by inserting new entries and substituting effective basic excise duty rates or nil status for specified goods, and alters an existing description. The Annexure increases a quantitative threshold and adds a condition requiring manufacturing by fully hand-operated moulding presses, absence of power use post-moulding except for buffing or testing, conformity to Indian Standards with the Standard Mark, and absence of another person's brand for eligibility to the exemption.

ITC (HS) classification correction clarifies importability and amends prefabricated housing material description.
The notification inserts a provision in the ITC (HS) heading for Exim Code 85.36 clarifying that goods not directly usable as consumer goods are freely importable, and it amends the item description for Exim Code 94060009.10 to "Prefabricated housing material," with both corrections made operative from 1.4.1997.

Exemption for steam used within the factory of its production introduced, extending nil duty under central excise notification.
Amendment inserts a new tariff table entry (25A) creating an exemption at nil central excise duty for steam used within the factory of its production. The Central Government, under section 5A of the Central Excise Act, 1944, amended the earlier notification by adding this specific commodity description and nil rate immediately after S. No. 25 in the notification's Table.

Modvat credit restriction on specified petroleum inputs limits available duty credit for domestic and imported inputs.
The amendment restricts modvat credit on specified petroleum inputs (naphtha, furnace oil, low sulphur heavy stock, light diesel oil, bitumen and paraffin wax) used in manufacture in India: for domestically produced inputs the credit is limited to excise duty calculated at the rate of 10% ad valorem; for imported inputs the credit is limited to additional duty calculated by assuming a like domestic input is chargeable at 10% ad valorem.

Recognition renewal under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act grants continued recognition to Cochin Stock Exchange for a further year.
The securities regulator, exercising its statutory power, considered the Exchange's renewal application made under the governing Act and rules and, being satisfied that renewal would serve the interests of trade and the public, granted recognition to the Exchange for contracts in securities for a further one-year term commencing in May 1997 and ending in May 1998.

Form RT 12 amendment updates excise reporting fields to standardise stock, clearance and duty payment disclosures.
The amendment substitutes the descriptive portion of FORM R.T.12 with a tabular format requiring entries for Unit; Opening Balance; Quantity Manufactured; Quantity Received from Outside; Total Quantity; Quantity Cleared on Payment of Duty; Quantity of Duty Free Clearances; Total Quantity Cleared; Closing Balance; Value of Goods Removed on Payment of Duty; Rate of Duty (and notification, if any claimed); and Duty Paid/Amount Paid with PLA/MODVAT.

Exemption from anti-dumping duty for imports under Advance Licence, subject to strict export obligation and non-transferability conditions.
Exemption from anti-dumping duty applies to goods imported against a Advance Licence provided such goods are used solely to discharge the licence's export obligation or to replenish goods so utilised; neither the exempted nor replenished goods may be sold, disposed of, or transferred to any other person. "Advance Licence" refers to quantity-based licences issued under the relevant Export and Import Policy provisions and endorsed with non-transferable and actual user conditions.

Anti-dumping duty imposed on Bisphenol-A imports from United States exporters, enforcing trade remedy measures against dumped imports.
Pursuant to final findings that Bisphenol-A originating in or exported from the United States was exported to India below normal value and caused material injury to the domestic industry, the Central Government, under the Customs Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff anti-dumping rules, imposes an anti-dumping duty of ten thousand rupees per metric ton on the specified United States exporter and on other exporters, levied with effect from the date of imposition of the provisional duty.

Customs exemption for propane vehicle conversion kits requires environmental ministry certificate and is time limited.
Amendment inserts serial 145A granting a conditioned customs exemption for kits to convert motor spirit vehicles to propane, and adds Condition 29A requiring an importer to produce at importation a certificate from an officer not below Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forests confirming the kits' use; the exemption is time limited until 31 March 1988.

Amendment to exemption notification narrows covered sub-paragraphs and removes a table entry under Central Excise Act authority.
The Central Government, exercising powers under section 5A(1) of the Central Excise Act, amends Notification No. 2/95-C.E. by substituting the opening paragraph's reference to a set of sub-paragraphs-removing one sub-paragraph from the listed items-and omits S. No. 2A and its related entries from the Table, thereby narrowing the exemption coverage applicable to goods from EOU, FTZ, EHTP and STP when sold in India.

Tariff values for aerated bottled waters set, prescribing excise valuation per bottle across size categories and superseding prior notification.
Fixes tariff values for aerated waters in bottles under the relevant tariff heading, prescribing excise valuation per bottle by discrete bottle-size categories and superseding the prior notification; applies to aerated waters with added sugar, sweetening matter or flavouring and standardises assessable value for central excise purposes.

Anti-dumping duty on acrylic fibre imports applies exporter-specific and country-specific rates with a narrow exemption.
Imposition of anti-dumping duty on acrylic fibre imports under Chapter 55 prescribes exporter-specific and country-specific duty rates in a Table, differentiating a named U.S. exporter from other exporters and setting separate rates for other countries; a specific exemption covers 1.7 denier colour acrylic fibre from the named U.S. exporter.

Exchange rate determination for export goods sets specified currency conversion rates, superseding prior notification and taking effect soon.
The Central Government determines rates of exchange for conversion between specified foreign currencies and Indian rupees for export goods, superseding the earlier notification and taking effect from the 1st day of May, 1997. Schedule I lists rates as the rupee equivalent of one unit of each named currency; Schedule II lists rates as the rupee equivalent of one hundred units for specified currencies, thereby fixing the conversion benchmarks applicable to export-related customs processes.

Exchange rate determination sets official conversion rates for customs and stamp duty, affecting imported goods valuation.
Prescribes official exchange rates for conversion between specified foreign currencies and Indian rupees for calculating stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and for purposes of section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 relating to imported goods; two schedules set unit and per hundred unit rates for listed currencies, the notification exercises the cited statutory powers and supersedes the earlier notification.

Service tax amendment mandates revised reporting fields in reporting form, changing tax and payment disclosure requirements.
The Service Tax (Amendment) Rules, 1997 substitute specified column headings in Form ST-3 to require month-wise break-up of taxable service value, separate identification of service tax leviable and collected, a field for interest payable, and consolidated entries for total amount paid with challan or journal slip references, government credit and interest paid, thereby restructuring the payment and reporting columns for clearer tax liability and payment reconciliation.

Commissioner appointment delegated to adjudicate specified customs show cause proceedings under the Customs Act for a single importer.
Appointment under sub section (1) of section 4 of the Customs Act, 1962 designates the Commissioner of Customs II, Mumbai, to act as Commissioner of Customs, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, solely for adjudicating matters arising from Show Cause Notice No. S/10 13/96 Gr. III issued against M/s Mehta Trading House (P) Limited; the designation transfers adjudicatory competence in respect of those specified proceedings to the named officer.

Ban on sole selling agents extended for bulk drugs, excluding Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic preparations.
Ban on appointment of sole selling agents applies to all categories of "bulk drug", "drugs" and "formulations" as defined in the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1987 because demand substantially exceeds supply and sole selling agents are unnecessary; the prohibition, issued under the Companies Act power, is extended for a further period and excludes bona fide Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic preparations.

Commencement amendment fixes the effective date for a mutual funds transitional provision to 1st April 1997.
Revision substitutes the timing language in the transitional provision of Regulation 52(8) of the Mutual Funds Regulations, replacing the prior three month phrase with an explicit effective date of 1st April, 1997; the Amendment Regulations are made under Section 30(1) of the SEBI Act and come into force on publication in the Official Gazette, with corrigenda correcting prior year references.