Import classification amendment: sandalwood removed and explicitly excluded from timber HS codes under foreign trade policy.
The notification deletes the sandal wood item under Exim Code 44039919 and instructs that Exim Code 4401 descriptions be amended to state that those codes exclude all species of sandalwood, as an administrative amendment to Schedule I (Imports) of the ITC (HS) classification under the Foreign Trade Policy framework.

VAT schedule amendment clarifies treatment of Canteen Stores Department goods and permits input tax refund entitlement.
The Third Schedule is amended to add a new entry classifying specified goods sold by the Canteen Stores Department as subject to conditions in the Fifth Schedule, listing covered categories and exclusions. The Sixth Schedule is adjusted to limit a country-specific sub-entry to a commodity scope, add an educational entity as a notified recipient, and insert a proviso permitting the Canteen Stores Department to claim an input tax refund at a specified rate for certain annexed items.

Tariff value fixation: notification replaces the tariff-value table to set customs values for specified imported commodities.
Amendment substitutes the Table in Notification No. 36/2001-Cus (N.T.) with a new Table prescribing tariff values in US$ per metric tonne for specified imports, including Crude Palm Oil, RBD Palm Oil, other Palm Oil, Crude Palmolein, RBD Palmolein, other Palmolein, Crude Soyabean Oil, Brass Scrap (all grades), and Poppy seeds, to be applied by customs for valuation and import control.

Rescission of Customs notification under Customs Tariff Act terminates prior exemption, preserving actions taken before rescission.
The Central Government, exercising powers under the Customs Tariff Act and rules governing anti-dumping duty, rescinds the prior exemption notification issued in 2006, withdrawing that exemption prospectively while preserving actions done or omitted before the rescission.

Anti-dumping duty imposed on specified nylon tyre cord fabric imports after new-shipper review, subject to provisional assessment.
Imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of Nylon Tyre Cord Fabrics produced and exported by a specified exporter from the People's Republic of China is prescribed following findings of exports below normal value causing dumping and material injury; the measure applies to goods under the relevant Customs Tariff headings, was initiated as a new shipper review with provisional assessment pending finalization, and is payable in Indian currency with effect from the review's initiation.

Research approval under Section 35(1)(ii) conditions tax-exempt donations on strict accounting, audit and research-use compliance.
Approval recognises Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation as an "other institution" partly engaged in scientific research under Section 35(1)(ii) effective 1-4-2007, subject to conditions: utilisation of sums for scientific research; research performed by faculty or enrolled students; maintenance of separate books of account for research receipts and expenditures; audit of those books by a qualified accountant with the audit report furnished to the tax authority by the income-tax return due date; and a separately certified statement of donations and amounts applied to research to accompany the audit report.

Appointment of common adjudicating authority to reassume adjudication of specified customs show cause proceedings.
Pursuant to section 4(1) and section 5(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, the Central Board of Excise and Customs appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Export), Jawahar Custom House, Nhava Sheva as common adjudicating authority to exercise the powers and duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Exports), Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Mumbai, solely for adjudication of the show cause notice issued to Mr. Pravin P. Joshi and others (F.No. DRI/BZU/E/INT 22/2005 dated 23 April 2007).

Appointment of Common Adjudicating Authority centralises adjudication of a DRI show cause notice concerning an individual.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, relying on section 4(1) and section 5(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), New Custom House, Mumbai, as a Common Adjudicating Authority to exercise the powers and duties of the Commissioners of Customs at CSI Airport, Mumbai and IGI Airport, New Delhi solely for adjudicating the DRI-issued show cause notice concerning Shri Liu Kang Chuan and others.

Large Taxpayer Unit eligibility expanded to include additional tax authority involvement in designation procedures under excise and service tax rules.
Amendment adds specified income tax authorities to the list of officials involved in the procedural framework for opting as a Large Taxpayer Unit under the Central Excise and Service Tax regime by inserting additional income tax offices after item (iii) of paragraph 2 of the principal notification.

National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standards constituted to advise the government on accounting policies and standards adoption.
Constitution of the National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standards under section 210A to advise the Central Government on accounting policies and standards for companies, listing appointed members by name and nominating body, specifying that members shall hold office up to a prescribed terminal date, and declaring the notification effective from its publication in the Official Gazette.

Inspection of company books authorised: designated SFIO officers empowered to inspect books and papers under Section 209A.
Authorisation is granted under Section 209A for specified officers of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Ministry of Corporate Affairs to inspect the books of account and other books and papers of every company; the notification lists the named officers and their designations who are empowered to exercise the statutory inspection powers.

Section 80-IB eligibility for mineral oil refineries confirmed; conditions on commencement and ownership to qualify.
Notification conditionally recognises specified mineral oil refinery projects as eligible for the tax provision, subject to the undertaking being a separate undertaking, commencing refining by the prescribed deadline, and remaining wholly owned by a public sector company or by a company in which public sector company or companies hold at least forty nine percent of the voting rights.

Central sales tax rate reduction alters the statutory tax applied to inter state sales under the Central Sales Tax Act.
The Central Government, exercising the proviso to sub section (1) of section 8 of the Central Sales Tax Act, issues a notification reducing the rate of tax charged under that provision by executive order and specifies the commencement date; the change alters the statutory rate applicable to inter state sales and the resulting compliance and tax calculation obligations.

Drawback exclusion for specified tariff headings prevents determination of drawback rates for the listed goods under the Drawback Rules.
The amendment adds prohibitory clauses to the Drawback Rules so that no amount or rate of drawback shall be determined in respect of goods falling within Chapter 72 or the specified tariff headings of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act; these changes are incorporated into rules 3, 6 and 7 and take effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Common adjudicating authority designated to centralise adjudication of specified show-cause notices, reallocating statutory jurisdiction accordingly.
Designation of a common adjudicating authority transfers jurisdiction to a specified Commissioner of Customs to adjudicate show-cause notices under the Customs Act concerning identified parties, centralising adjudication by reallocating powers and duties from local Customs and Central Excise Commissioners to the appointed Commissioner as the proper officer for those notices.

Common Adjudicating Authority designated to adjudicate show cause notices against Jet Airways under Customs Act.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs designates the Commissioner of Customs (Import & General), New Customs House, New Delhi as the common adjudicating authority to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Amritsar for adjudicating the show cause notice issued in respect of M/s Jet Airways (India) Ltd., thereby reallocating adjudicatory competence for that specified matter.

Common Adjudicating Authority appointed to adjudicate show cause notices against Meenu Exim under Customs Act.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, invoking section 4(1) and section 5(1) of the Customs Act, appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Export), JNCH, Nhava Sheva, as Common Adjudicating Authority to exercise the powers and duties of the Commissioners of Customs (General and CFS Mulund) and Ahmedabad for adjudicating the show cause notices issued to M/s Meenu Exim Pvt. Ltd. by the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence, Zonal Unit, Ahmedabad.

Common adjudicating authority appointed to adjudicate a show cause notice in customs proceedings against a trading firm.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, invoking sections 4(1) and 5(1) of the Customs Act, appoints the Commissioner of Customs, Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad, as Common Adjudicating Authority to exercise the powers and duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Export), Nhava Sheva, and the Commissioner of Central Excise, Faridabad, exclusively for adjudicating the show cause notice issued to M/s Abchal Impex.

Appointment of common adjudicating authority transfers adjudication jurisdiction for a specified customs show cause notice.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, invoking powers under the Customs Act, appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Import), Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House as common adjudicating authority to exercise the powers and duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Port Import), Air Cargo Complex, solely for adjudication of a specified show cause notice issued by the investigative agency, thereby transferring jurisdiction and procedural responsibility for that matter to the designated authority.

Appointment of common adjudicating authority: Commissioner of Customs designated to adjudicate Euroasia Global show cause notice.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, invoking sub section (1) of section 4 and sub section (1) of section 5 of the Customs Act, 1962, appoints the Commissioner of Customs, Inland Container Depot, Tughlakabad, New Delhi, as Common Adjudicating Authority to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the Commissioner of Customs (Imports), New Custom House, Mumbai, for adjudicating the show cause notice issued to M/s. Euroasia Global and another by the Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Delhi Zonal Unit, DRI F.No. 23/01/2007 DZU/198 203 dated 9 January 2008.