Appropriate Government Treasury designation allows electronic collection of VAT and CST liabilities through notified banks immediately.
Two banks are designated as Appropriate Government Treasury to receive tax, interest, penalty or other amounts due under the Delhi Value Added Tax Act and the Central Sales Tax Act from registered dealers, casual traders, contractees (TAN holders) and other persons, exclusively in e-payment mode; authorisation is subject to RBI regulations and conditions of an earlier departmental notification and is effective immediately.

Backward area designation under s.32/s.32AD recognises specified Bihar districts for applicable tax incentives from Gazette publication.
Central Government notifies specified districts of Bihar as backward areas under the first proviso to clause (iia) of sub section (1) of section 32 and sub section (1) of section 32AD of the Income tax Act, listing twenty one named districts and stating the notification takes effect from its publication in the Official Gazette.

Computation of period of stay in India: sea service on eligible international voyages excluded from residence period for crew.
Rule 126 excludes, for residential-status computation under section 6, the sea-service period recorded in the Continuous Discharge Certificate for joining and signing off on an eligible voyage by an Indian citizen who is a member of a ship's crew. "Continuous Discharge Certificate" is as defined in the Merchant Shipping Rules, 2001; "eligible voyage" means an international-traffic voyage between an Indian port and a foreign port. The amendment is made under Explanation 2 to clause (1) of section 6 read with section 295 and is retrospective from 1 April 2015.

Subordination of tax commissioners: Directors General and Chief Commissioners now subordinate to Principal Director Generals within jurisdiction.
The amendment substitutes clause (a) to state that Principal Directors General, Principal Chief Commissioners, Directors General of Income-tax (Investigation), Chief Commissioners of Income-tax (Central), Director General of Income-tax (I and CI) and Chief Commissioner of Income-tax (Exemptions) are subordinate to the Central Board of Direct Taxes, and inserts clause (aa) providing that Directors General or Chief Commissioners are subordinate to the Principal Director Generals or Principal Chief Commissioners within whose jurisdiction they perform their functions.

Anti-dumping duty on DPP Red 254 imposed with differentiated rates by origin, exporter and producer for fixed term.
Imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of Diketopyrrolo Pyrrole Pigment Red 254 (DPP Red 254) from the People's Republic of China and Switzerland, following findings of exports below normal value and material injury to the domestic industry. The notification prescribes definitive per kilogram dollar-denominated rates differentiated by country of origin, country of export, and identified producers/exporters; duties are payable in Indian currency, effective for a fixed statutory term, with exchange rates determined by government notifications and the bill-of-entry date as relevant date.

Warehousing station designation enables exclusive Export Oriented Undertaking upon SEZ Development Commissioner approval under the Customs Act.
Alakode Village in Thodupuzha Taluk, Idukki District, Kerala is declared a warehousing station under section 9 of the Customs Act, 1962 for the limited purpose of establishing a 100% Export Oriented Undertaking, pursuant to powers conferred by Notification No. 33/94 Cus (NT) and subject to approval by the Development Commissioner, Cochin Special Economic Zone.

Mandatory ASBA facility for public issues strengthens subscription channels and updates intermediary roles.
The regulations add registrar to issue and share transfer agents, depository participants and stock brokers into multiple issue-related provisions; mandate the ASBA facility for public issues and for certain rights-issue scenarios with specified investor-category limitations; designate stock brokers, SCSBs, registrars and depository participants as bidding/collection centres; broaden intermediary references to "SEBI registered intermediaries"; tighten lead merchant bankers' post-issue reporting timelines; omit Part A of Schedule XVI and adjust cross-references; and require disclosure of website links listing relevant intermediaries.

Investment classification: Category I and II AIF investments on institutional trading platforms treated as unlisted securities under amended AIF regulations.
The amendment provides that investments by Category I and Category II Alternative Investment Funds in shares of entities listed on an institutional trading platform after the commencement of the specified ICDR amendment shall be deemed to be investments in 'unlisted securities' for purposes of the AIF regulations. The regulation takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Delisting scope narrowed: regulations exclude securities listed without public issue on institutional trading platforms from applicability.
The amendment substitutes the proviso to regulation 3(1) to provide that the Delisting Regulations shall not apply to securities listed without making a public issue on the institutional trading platform of a recognised stock exchange, thereby excluding such securities from the delisting regime and taking effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Scope of takeover regulations narrowed: acquisitions in companies listed without public issue on institutional trading platforms excluded.
The substituted proviso to regulation 1(3) provides that the regulations shall not apply to direct and indirect acquisition of shares, voting rights, or control over a company listed without making a public issue on the institutional trading platform of a recognized stock exchange, thereby exempting such acquisitions from the Substantial Acquisition and Takeovers Regulations.

Institutional trading platform listing: new regime setting eligibility, allocation and lock-in rules for targeted listings.
The amendment creates Chapter XC establishing an institutional trading platform regime: defining the platform and institutional investors, setting eligibility criteria based on pre-issue institutional holding, and capping post-issue concentration. It prescribes separate procedures for listing without a public issue-requiring draft information document filing, in-principle exchange approval, waivers of public-offer provisions and minimum public shareholding-and for public-issue listings-specifying application size, allotment allocations between institutional and non-institutional investors, and disclosure obligations. Rules on lock-in, trading lot, exit, migration to main board, fees and disclosure formats are also specified.

Fixation of tariff values for selected edible oils, metals and agricultural commodities, updating customs valuation for imports.
The Central Board of Excise & Customs amends the principal Customs (Non Tariff) notification by substituting TABLE 1, TABLE 2 and TABLE 3 to fix tariff values in US dollars for specified imported goods, including named edible oils, brass scrap, poppy seeds, areca nuts, and per unit values for gold and silver where specified notification benefits are availed.

Regional Bench jurisdiction established to hear appeals from assigned territories, with registry commencement and office location provided.
The President of the Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal orders constitution of a Regional Bench vested with appellate jurisdiction to hear appeals arising within its allocated territory and to receive matters transferred by order of the President; the Registry is directed to commence functioning from the specified date at the stated office premises to facilitate filings and administrative processes.

Tax exemption under section 10(46) for welfare fund receipts and deposit interest, subject to non commercial and filing conditions.
Notification under clause (46) of section 10 exempts specified income of the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Workers Welfare Fund Board, namely amounts received into the Fund under the State Act and interest on bank deposits, effective for specified past and future financial years, subject to conditions that the Board refrain from commercial activity, maintain unchanged activities and income character, and comply with the prescribed income tax return filing requirement.

Tax exemption for welfare board: contributions and bank interest exempt subject to non-commercial activity, return filing and unchanged activities.
Notification under section 10(46) recognises the Kerala Abkari Workers Welfare Fund Board's exemption for specified income comprising employer and employee contributions and interest on bank deposits, subject to conditions that the Board shall not undertake commercial activity, shall file returns as per clause (g) of sub-section (4C) of section 139, and shall keep its activities and the nature of the specified income unchanged throughout the applicable financial years.

Tax exemption for royalties and technical services excludes specified contract receipts from taxable income under notified provision.
Notification exempts income of M/s Rosoboronexport by way of royalty or fees for technical services received under Contract No. P/235611233623 (24 January 2007) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, pursuant to the India-Russia intergovernmental agreement, from inclusion in the company's total income under the Income-tax Act up to Rs. 103.50 crore, as specified by the Central Government under clause (6C) of section 10 via Notification No. 66/2015 dated 13 August 2015.

Tax exemption under section 10(46) for state electricity regulatory commission's specified income, subject to non commerciality and reporting conditions.
Notification designates Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission exempt for specified income: fees under the Electricity Act, grants and loans from the state government, and interest on bank deposits, subject to conditions that the Commission not engage in commercial activity, file returns as required by clause (g) of sub section (4C) of section 139, and maintain unchanged activities and the nature of specified income for the applicable financial years.

Tax exemption under section 10(46): specified grants and deposit interest exempt when entity limits activities and files prescribed returns.
Notification under section 10(46) designates Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Promotion Society as entitled to exemption for grants from the Government of India, grants from the Government of Karnataka, and interest on bank deposits, subject to conditions that it shall not engage in commercial activity, its activities and specified income remain unchanged, and it files income-tax returns as required; applicability is for financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18.

VAT amendments clarify tax credit reductions, exclusions for losses and credit notes, and update return forms.
Rule 6A excludes proportionate reduction of input tax credit where goods are sold at a loss or where a credit note is issued after the tax invoice. Rule 7 mandates a 100% credit denial for goods in the Second Schedule and a reduction of (2/R x 100) percent for other goods, where R is the tax rate. Rule 45(e) requires reporting of variations to tax amounts on invoices when adjustments to tax credit arise under sections 8(1) and 8(2). Forms DVAT 01, 04A, 11, 16, 16A and 17 are revised to capture stock, credit note and rate wise details.

Exchange of tax information: reciprocal, confidential assistance for tax administration and enforcement across jurisdictions.
The Agreement requires competent authorities to provide, upon request, any information foreseeably relevant to tax administration and enforcement, including bank, ownership and fiduciary records and, where permitted, depositions and authenticated originals. Requests must identify the person, period, nature and tax purpose of information and justify its presence within the requested Party's jurisdiction. The requested Party must acknowledge receipt, notify deficiencies within sixty days, and report inability or refusal within ninety days, while preserving grounds to decline based on public policy, legal privilege, trade secrets or inability to obtain information within territorial jurisdiction.