VAT scope narrowed for South Africa: purchases remain taxable except personal purchases by diplomats and international officers.
The Sixth Schedule entry for South Africa under the Delhi Value Added Tax Act is replaced to provide that transactions involving South Africa are chargeable except for purchases made by diplomats or international officers for personal use; the amendment is made under section 103 and is stated to have immediate effect, with administrative circulation to concerned departments and publication channels for implementation.

Customs exemption for Programme AD imports subject to designation and certified list, limited to authorised programme use.
Exemption added for Programme AD imports: authorised works centres designated by a Ministry of Defence officer may import specified machinery, equipment, components, software, raw materials and consumables duty-free provided they produce at import a list certified by the Member Secretary, Programme Management Board, Programme AD or Programme Director AD, DRDL Hyderabad, confirming necessity for Programme AD, exclusive use for that programme, non-availability in India and Ministry of Defence authorisation; exemption ceases on 31 July 2016.

Rescission of anti-dumping notification ends prior provisional duty on vitrified and porcelain tiles, preserving past actions.
The Central Government rescinds Notification No. 38/2007 Customs imposing provisional anti dumping duty on vitrified and porcelain tiles, exercising powers under section 9A (sub sections (1) and (5)) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and rules 18, 20 and 22 of the Anti dumping Rules, 1995; the rescission is subject to a savings clause preserving things done or omitted before the rescission.

Anti-dumping duty exemption for specified Chinese tile exporters after new shipper review removes duty on their imports.
Acting under section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act and relevant anti-dumping rules, the Central Government directed that no anti-dumping duty shall be imposed on imports of vitrified and porcelain tiles from M/s Guangdong Monalisa Ceramic Co. Ltd. and M/s Foshan Monalisa Industry Co. Ltd., via M/s Ava Corp., for the period from 9 March 2007 until supersession of the earlier notification, and ordered insertion of a proviso effective 27 June 2008 in the principal notification to exempt those imports from anti-dumping duty.

Anti-dumping scope narrowed: reflective glass excluded from float glass imports subject to duty under amended notification.
The Central Government narrows the scope of the existing anti-dumping duty on imported float glass by inserting the words "reflective glass" after the phrase "but not including" in the opening paragraph of the earlier notification, thereby excluding reflective glass from the goods covered. The amendment follows prior findings, a sunset review and continuation recommendation by the designated authority, and is made under powers granted by the Customs Tariff Act and the anti-dumping rules.

Recognition of stock exchange: MCX must retain client code change records and permit tax investigation access.
The Central Government notifies MCX Stock Exchange Ltd. as a recognised stock exchange under the Explanation to clause (d) of the proviso to sub section (5) of section 43 read with rule 6DDB, making the exchange subject to the Income tax Rules framework. The exchange must maintain separate records of transactions where client codes were changed and provide them for inspection and copies to the Director General of Income tax (Investigation). Recognition may be withdrawn for breach of conditions in rule 6DDA and remains effective until SEBI approval is withdrawn or the notification is rescinded under rule 6DDB.

Excise exemption for defence programme supplies tied to pre clearance certification by the Programme Management Board.
Amendment inserts an exemption entry for machinery, equipment, instruments, components, spares, tools, software, raw materials and consumables intended for Programme AD; exemption applies only when supplied to Programme AD and a pre clearance certificate from the Member Secretary, Programme Management Board, Programme AD or the Programme Director, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad, is produced to the proper officer, and the exemption ceases to have effect on or after 16 July 2016.

Meeting governance rules for the Competition Commission set agenda, attendance, and procedural controls for transactions of business.
Regulations establish meeting governance for the Competition Commission of India: definitions and roles; ordinary and special meeting categories with Chairperson-set agendas; attendance (including video conferencing as valid for voting); procedures for hearings, minutes, monthly compliance reviews by the Secretary, and circulation of decisions; Chairperson authority to convene urgent special meetings; power to determine procedure in unforeseen circumstances; and that procedural irregularities not affecting merits do not invalidate Commission acts.

Special Economic Zone expansion: additional land at Mannur and Vallarpuram included for free trade warehousing zone.
Central Government notification under the SEZ Act and SEZ Rules adds an additional 44.15 hectares at Mannur and Vallarpuram villages to an existing sector specific Special Economic Zone for a free trade warehousing zone. The inclusion follows M/s. J. Matadee Eco Parks Private Limited's proposal, satisfaction of statutory requirements under section 3 including grant of a letter of approval, and exercise of powers under section 4 and rule 8 to notify the listed survey parcels and areas as part of the SEZ.

SEZ rule amendment permits clubbing of contiguous zones beyond area cap and expands Approval Committee powers.
The amendment defines Vacant Land as land lacking functional ports, manufacturing units, industrial activities or structures engaged in commercial or economic activity. It authorises the Central Government to permit clubbing of contiguous notified SEZs even where the resultant zone exceeds the prescribed area limit. The Approval Committee is empowered to approve broad banding, diversification, enhancement of production capacity and changes in items of manufacture or service activity if rule requirements are met, and may approve change of entrepreneur where the incoming entrepreneur assumes the assets and liabilities of the existing unit.

Approval Committee amendment substitutes Rajkot with Vadodara in SEZ Approval Committee constitution under SEZ Act to update membership.
Amends the earlier notification constituting the Approval Committee for the multi-product Special Economic Zone by substituting, in the table at Serial No. 3 second column, the word "Rajkot" with the word "Vadodara" under the authority of Section 13 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005.

Research approval for institute recognized for donor tax benefits, conditioned on audit, reporting and genuine research activities.
Fluid Control Research Institute, Palakkad is approved as an approved research institution effective 1 April 2008, subject to conditions that payments received be used for scientific research carried out by faculty or enrolled students, maintenance of separate books of account for research receipts and expenditures, an auditor's audit and certified report submitted with the income-tax return, and a separate auditor-certified statement of donations and amounts applied for research; approval is withdrawable for failures to maintain records, furnish reports, cease genuine research, or otherwise fail compliance.

News agency status under Section 10(22B) granted, subject to exclusive income application for news and non-distribution.
United News of India, New Delhi, is specified as a news agency under the income-tax exemption provision for the assessment years 2009-2010 to 2011-2012, on the condition that it applies or accumulates its income solely for collection and distribution of news and does not distribute its income to its members.

Freight hedge permits residents to enter foreign freight derivative contracts to hedge freight risk subject to RBI approval.
The amendment adds a regulation allowing residents to enter into freight derivative contracts overseas to hedge freight risk, subject to Reserve Bank approval on application and to any terms, conditions and procedures the Reserve Bank prescribes; authorised dealers specially authorised by the Reserve Bank may permit oil refining and shipping companies to undertake such hedges under Reserve Bank directions and guidelines. The regulations are given retrospective effect with a clarification against adverse effect on persons.

Service tax exemption for SEZ services now confined to refund where tax was paid, with payment and recordkeeping required.
The amendment confines the SEZ service tax exemption to refunds of service tax paid on specified services used for authorised SEZ operations, excluding services consumed wholly within the SEZ; requires that claimants have actually paid the service tax on those services; and mandates that developers and units maintain proper accounts of receipt and utilisation of taxable services for which exemption is claimed.

Special Economic Zone designation grants inland container depot status and creates an approval committee for textile SEZ operations.
Central Government notifies a textile sector Special Economic Zone at Village Chincholi Kati, District Solapur, specifying survey/gut numbers totaling 103 hectares, based on a prior letter of approval under Section 3 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005. It establishes an Approval Committee under Section 14 composed of designated ex officio members and a developer representative, and declares the SEZ to be an Inland Container Depot for purposes of Section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, effective from the appointed date.

Special Economic Zone designation expands IT/ITES zone at Kalamboli following statutory approval under the SEZ Act.
The Central Government, invoking the second proviso to Section 4(1) of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, notifies an additional area of 30.5488 hectares at Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai as a sector-specific SEZ for Information Technology/ITES to be developed and operated by M/s. Navi Mumbai SEZ Private Limited, identifying two parcels (Valvali-01 Part-2 and Part-3a) and confirming prior satisfaction under Section 3(8) and grant of approval under Section 3(10).

Special Economic Zone designation for pharmaceutical sector at Kalamboli notified, specifying pockets and total area as SEZ.
Notification declares a Special Economic Zone at Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai for the pharmaceutical sector, following approval of M/s. Navi Mumbai SEZ Private Limited's proposal and satisfaction of statutory requirements. Exercising powers under the SEZ legislative framework and rules, the Central Government specifies the notified pockets Padghe-01 and part of Valvali-01 aggregating 103.0727 hectares and records prior approval for conversion of the pharmaceutical SEZ into an IT/ITES SEZ.

Renewal of recognition under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act granted for a one-year term to a regional stock exchange.
Renewal of recognition is granted to the Uttar Pradesh Stock Exchange Association Limited under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 for a one year period commencing 3 June 2009 and ending 2 June 2010, subject to conditions that may be prescribed or imposed thereafter.

Jurisdiction under section 129A amended: 'Pune II' entries replaced by 'Kolhapur', altering commissioner committee jurisdiction.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, under sub section (1B) of section 129A of the Customs Act, amends Notification No. 49/2005 Customs (N.T.) by substituting the words "Kolhapur" in place of "Pune II" in Columns (2) and (3) against Sl. Nos. 51 and 52 in the Table, thereby changing the territorial designation appearing for those commissioner committee entries.