Appointment of Common Adjudicating Authority to adjudicate specified show-cause notices under the Customs Act in administrative proceedings.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Export Promotion), Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, Nhava Sheva, as a Common Adjudicating Authority empowered to exercise the adjudicatory powers and duties for the specific show-cause notices identified in the notification, limited to the matters and parties expressly described.

Appointment of common adjudicating authority to hear and decide show-cause proceedings under Customs Act for specified exporters.
Pursuant to powers under sub-section (1) of section 4 and sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Customs Act, the Central Board of Excise and Customs appoints the Commissioner of Customs, Jaipur as Common Adjudicating Authority to exercise the powers and discharge duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Export), JNCH, for adjudicating the show-cause proceedings relating to M/s B.A. International and others issued by the Directorate responsible for revenue intelligence.

Adjudicating Authority appointment expands designated Customs commissioners to include an additional Commissioner as Common Adjudicating Authority.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs amends Notification No. 15/2008 Customs(N.T.) by inserting the phrase "and the Commissioner of Customs (Import), Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House, Nhava Sheva, Raigad, Maharashtra" after the reference to the Commissioner of Customs, Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Mumbai, thereby designating that Commissioner as a Common Adjudicating Authority / Proper Officer under the Customs Act.

Notified Corporation status granted to Hyderabad Urban Development Authority with conditions on deductible expenditure and accounting.
Hyderabad Urban Development Authority is notified as a Notified Corporation for the purposes of clause (xii) of subsection (1) of section 36 of the Income tax Act, 1961, subject to conditions: expenditure must be for objects authorized by the Andhra Pradesh Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975; not be capital expenditure; not be deductible under any other provision of the Income tax Act; and a separate account of such expenditure must be maintained. The notification is effective from 1 April 2008 for assessment year 2008-09 onward.

Tax exemption approval for educational trust contingent on exclusive application of income and prescribed investment and dissolution rules.
Approval is granted to Saraswati Shikshan Samiti for tax-exempt status subject to conditions: apply or accumulate income exclusively for its objects; invest funds only in prescribed modes except certain voluntary contributions; business income excluded unless incidental and shown in separate books; file returns regularly; on dissolution transfer surplus assets to a similar charitable organisation and not to members.

Appointment of Development Commissioner for SEZ imposes regulatory reporting and accountability to the Department of Commerce.
The Director, Software Technology Parks of India, Noida is appointed as Development Commissioner of the Special Economic Zone for the Noida IT/ITES project developed by Golden Tower Infratech Pvt. Ltd.; the incumbent must follow directions of the Central Government, Department of Commerce and the Board of Approval on Special Economic Zones, submit prescribed periodic reports, and is accountable to the Department of Commerce for actions taken as Development Commissioner, while personal service matters are governed by the Department of Information Technology and Software Technology Parks of India.

Deemed Inland Container Depot status granted to Noida IT/ITES SEZ under SEZ Act, activating Customs Act provisions.
Central Government designated the information technology and IT-enabled services Special Economic Zone at Plot No.8, Sector-144, Noida as a deemed Inland Container Depot, fixing a commencement date and thereby subjecting the SEZ to the regulatory and procedural framework of the Customs Act through the authority granted by the Special Economic Zone Act.

Approval Committee for IT/ITeS SEZ constituted under Section 13 to oversee approvals and administration of the Noida SEZ.
Constitutes an Approval Committee for the IT/ITeS Special Economic Zone at Plot No.8, Sector 144, Noida, under the Special Economic Zones Act. The committee's composition is prescribed: Development Commissioner as Chairperson (ex officio); ex officio members from the Department of Commerce, Zonal DGFT, Customs (Airport) or nominee, Income Tax or nominee, and Director (Banking) in the Ministry of Finance; state representatives from the industrial development authority and Secretary (Industry), Uttar Pradesh; and the developer's representative as special invitee.

Special Economic Zone designation certifies Plot No.8 Sector-144 Noida as a sector-specific IT/ITES SEZ.
The Central Government, invoking powers under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, notifies land at Plot No.8, Sector-144, Noida as a Special Economic Zone for information technology and information technology enabled services, following a proposal by M/s. Golden Tower Infratech Private Limited and issuance of a letter of approval for development and operation.

Special Economic Zone designation amended to specify electronic hardware technology park and information technology services in Gandhinagar.
The Central Government, exercising powers under the Special Economic Zones Act and SEZ Rules, substitutes the earlier description in Notification No. S.O. 2095(E) to designate the Gandhinagar Electronic Estate as a sector specific Special Economic Zone for electronic hardware technology park and information technology and information technology enabled services, thereby aligning the notified wording with the previously granted approvals and the approved scope for development, operation and maintenance at the estate.

Mandatory electronic filing for half yearly VAT returns: dealers must file online and submit printed returns with supporting challans.
The notification mandates electronic filing for half yearly registered dealers: file half yearly DVAT returns online within forty two days of period end, effective from the period ending 31st March 2009, in addition to statutory returns. The Annexure prescribes the online procedure for Form DVAT 16 and Form I - login with TIN/password, complete and confirm entries, print two copies showing a unique online receipt number, submit a printed copy with payment challans and original TDS certificates to the Department, obtain a computerized receipt, and follow specified steps for revised returns and reprinting filed returns.

Import policy change: elastomeric imports reclassified as free under Foreign Trade Policy, removing prior restriction.
Import policy for Elastomeric (Exim Code 5402 44 00) is amended from Restricted to Free, effective from 24.11.2008, under powers of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act read with paragraph 2.1 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09; issued as an amendment to Schedule I (Imports) of the ITC (HS) in the public interest.

Tariff value amendment under Customs Act sets revised import values for poppy seeds and brass scrap and restated table.
The Board, invoking sub section (2) of section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, substitutes the Table in Notification No.36/2001 Cus (N.T.) with a new schedule of tariff values in US dollars per metric tonne for specified goods. The substituted Table specifies values for various edible oils (largely unchanged) and sets explicit tariff values for Brass Scrap (all grades) and Poppy seeds; the amendment is issued as Notification No.131/2008 Customs (N.T.), dated 15 December 2008.

Appointment of Development Commissioner under SEZ Act assigns STPI Navi Mumbai director to oversee specified SEZ and report to Commerce.
Appointment under sub-section (1) of Section 11 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 names the Director, Software Technology Parks of India, Navi Mumbai as Development Commissioner of the SEZ for the Kumar Builders Township Ventures Private Limited project at Hinjewadi, Pune, covering electronic hardware and software and IT-enabled services. The Development Commissioner must follow instructions of the Central Government, Department of Commerce and the Board of Approval, submit prescribed periodic reports, and is responsible to the Department of Commerce for actions taken; personal service matters remain under the Department of Information Technology or STPI.

Inland Container Depot designation for a special economic zone deemed under customs law, applying customs status to the SEZ.
The Central Government, exercising powers under the Special Economic Zones Act, appointed a date from which the electronic hardware and software including formation technology and information technology enabled services Special Economic Zone at Phase-II, R Gandhi Infotech Park, Village Hinjewadi and Mann, Taluka Mulshi, District Pune, Maharashtra, by M/s. Kumar Builders Township Ventures Private Limited, shall be deemed to be an Inland Container Depot for purposes of the Customs Act.

Approval Committee constitution for a Special Economic Zone enables centralized administrative review and specified ex officio and nominee memberships.
Constitutes an Approval Committee under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 for the electronic hardware and software including information technology enabled services SEZ at Phase II, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Pune, by M/s. Kumar Builders Township Ventures Private Limited, specifying its composition with a Chairperson, ex officio central and state nominees, territorial tax and customs representatives, a banking representative, two state nominated officers and the developer as a special invitee.

Special Economic Zone designation for electronic hardware and IT notifies sector-specific SEZ established by private developer.
Central Government notifies a sector specific Special Economic Zone for electronic hardware and software, including information technology and information technology enabled services, on specified land parcels at Hinjewadi following a private developer's proposal and prior approval under the Special Economic Zones Act; the notification lists survey numbers and a total area of 10.968 hectares.

Appointment of Development Commissioner for SEZ establishes reporting and compliance obligations to the Department of Commerce.
The Central Government appoints the Director, Software Technology Parks of India, Bangalore as Development Commissioner of the Special Economic Zone for Karle Infra Projects at Nagavara (IT/ITES/BPO sector, area 10.876 hectares). The appointee must abide by instructions of the Central Government, the Department of Commerce and the Board of Approval on Special Economic Zones, submit periodic reports as prescribed, and is responsible to the Department of Commerce for actions taken; personal service matters remain governed by the Department of Information Technology/Software Technology Parks of India.

Deeming of SEZ as Inland Container Depot enables Nagavara IT/ITES/BPO zone to be treated under Customs Act.
The Central Government, under sub section (2) of Section 53 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, appointed 12 December 2008 as the date from which the sector specific SEZ for IT/ITES/BPO at Nagavara Village, proposed by M/s. Karle Infra Projects, shall be deemed to be an Inland Container Depot under Section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, thereby rendering the SEZ subject to the customs framework applicable to Inland Container Depots from that date.

Approval Committee for sector specific SEZ constituted, defining ex officio and nominated membership for an IT/ITeS/BPO project.
Constitutes an Approval Committee under the Special Economic Zone Act to consider a sector specific SEZ for IT, ITeS and BPO proposed at Nagavara, to be developed by M/s. Karle Infra Projects. The Committee's composition: Development Commissioner as Chairperson (ex officio); senior Department of Commerce representative (ex officio); Zonal Joint Director General of Foreign Trade (ex officio); Commissioner of Customs or Central Excise or nominee (ex officio); Commissioner of Income Tax or nominee (ex officio); Director (Banking), Ministry of Finance (ex officio); two State nominated Joint Secretary rank officers (ex officio); and the developer's representative as invitee.