Exemption under section 35AC: specified institutions approved with capped deductible costs for eligible projects.
Notification S.O. 96(E) dated 11-2-1999 approves specified institutions under Section 35AC, identifies eligible projects or schemes with their estimated costs, and specifies the maximum portion of those costs that may be allowed as a deduction; the approvals are project-specific, cap deductible amounts (including corpus distinctions where stated), and are time-limited to a three-year application for the listed assessment years.

Approval under section 10(23G) enables specified infrastructure projects to receive tax-exempt status subject to compliance and audits.
Approval is granted to specified enterprises under section 10(23G) read with rule 2E for the stated assessment years, subject to conformity with section 10(23G) and rule 2E, maintenance of books of account, obtaining and furnishing the audit report as required by sub rule (7) of rule 2E, and with provision for withdrawal of approval if the enterprise ceases to carry on the infrastructure facility or fails the accounting or audit obligations.

Approval under section 10(23G) grants tax-exempt status to an infrastructure enterprise subject to compliance and audit conditions.
Approval under section 10(23G) has been granted to Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd for its power generation, water supply and irrigation projects, conditioned on conformity with the section and applicable rules. The approval is subject to withdrawal if the enterprise ceases to carry on an infrastructure facility, fails to maintain books of account or obtain the requisite audit by a qualified accountant, or fails to furnish the prescribed audit report.

Tax deduction eligibility under section 35AC extended for Revabhai General Hospital project for three assessment years.
The Central Government specifies continuation of tax deduction eligibility for the construction of doctors' quarters, a physiotherapy centre, equipment and maintenance of Revabhai General Hospital carried out by Shree Sardhav Gram Vikas Mandal; this continuation follows a National Committee recommendation and designates the project as eligible for a further three assessment years commencing from assessment year 2000-2001 at the estimated project cost stated in the notification.

Approval under housing finance tax provision permits Home Trust to claim special reserve deductions subject to annual audit and compliance.
Approval under the income-tax provision for housing finance entities has been granted to Home Trust Housing Finance Company Ltd., Calcutta for specified assessment years, enabling claim of the special reserve deduction. The approval is conditional on the company having as its main object long-term housing finance during the period, creation and maintenance of the special reserve, annual submission of audited financial statements with the deduction statement by the return due date, and fulfillment of all other statutory conditions for the deduction.

Anti-dumping provisional exemption for specified PTA imports, subject to provisional assessment and guarantee, with duty payable if imposed.
The Central Government allows imports of Purified Terephthalic Acid from the two named exporters to enter India without levy of final anti-dumping duty pending completion of rule 22 reviews, provided such imports are subject to provisional assessment and a guarantee at the provisional rate; if anti-dumping duty is subsequently recommended, importers will be liable to pay duty on all imports from the date of initiation of the reviews.

Customs exemption for donated second hand computers for government and local body schools, subject to use and disposal restrictions.
Exemption of second-hand computers and specified peripherals from customs duty and related additional duties is provided when received as donations by government-run or local body schools from donors outside India, subject to the school observing transport procedure prescribed by the Assistant Commissioner of Customs and refraining from commercial use or sale, disposal, gift, loan, exchange or other parting with the goods without the Assistant Commissioner's permission for five years from receipt.

Customs exemption for donated second-hand computers permits duty-free import for government-run schools subject to use restrictions.
Second-hand computers and specified peripherals donated from outside India to schools run by central, state, union territory or local bodies are exempted from customs and related duties, provided the school observes the transport procedure prescribed by the Assistant Commissioner of Customs and the goods are not used commercially or transferred, sold, disposed of, gifted, loaned, exchanged or parted with without the Assistant Commissioner's permission within five years of receipt.

Duty exemption for supplies to UN or international organisations requires prescribed certification and governmental countersignatures before clearance.
Duty exemption for goods supplied to the United Nations, an international organisation, or to projects financed by multilateral agencies is conditioned on production, before clearance, of specified certificates: from the UN/international organisation for official use; from a Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance for UN financed projects approved by the Government of India; and from the Project Implementing Authority with countersignature by a Joint Secretary in the Line Ministry or by the State Principal Secretary/Secretary (Finance) where the project is approved for State/UT implementation. Definitions for "international organisation" and "Line Ministry" are provided.

Enforcement powers authorise specified excise officers to arrest, summon, search and confiscate vessels and cargo subject to rank-based limits.
Authorises specified Central Excise officers to exercise arrest, summoning, magistrate referral, entry and search, and confiscation powers under specified sections and rules, with allocation by minimum rank and conditions including written authorisation and supervisory permission; it supersedes an earlier notification and notes subsequent supersession of Rules 201 and 202.

Central Excise rule amendment shortens procedural deadline to 11.00 A.M., applying to Rule 100G and Rule 224 provisions.
The Fourth Amendment replaces the time "5.00 P.M." with "11.00 A.M." in the second proviso of Rule 100G and in Rule 224 (sub-rule (2) second proviso and sub-rule (2A)), taking effect on publication under the Central Excise Act.

Rescission of anti dumping notification: prior exemption for potassium permanganate imports from China revoked under Customs Tariff authority.
The Central Government, exercising powers under sub section (1) of section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 read with rule 18 of the Customs Tariff (Anti dumping) Rules, 1995, rescinds Notification No. 137/95 Customs (5 September 1995) insofar as it concerned potassium permanganate imported from China, withdrawing the earlier exemption and restoring the regulatory position under the Act and rules.

Anti-dumping duty on potassium permanganate imposed as difference between benchmark price and landed value of imports.
Imposition of anti-dumping duty on Potassium Permanganate from the Peoples Republic of China is prescribed as the difference between a specified benchmark price and the landed value of imports per metric tonne; the duty is time limited and "landed value" is defined as the assessable value under the Customs Act inclusive of customs duties except certain tariff and anti-dumping duties.

Drawback time limit shortened under amendment to rules, reducing the permitted claim period for refunds.
The amendment substitutes the wording in rule 13(4) of the Customs and Central Excise Duties Drawback Rules, 1995 to shorten the prescribed period for filing drawback claims, thereby modifying the operative deadline for entitlement and procedure under the Drawback Rules.

Input credit safeguards preserve entitlement despite document defects where duty is paid and goods are actually used.
Amendments to rules 57G and 57T provide that credit for inputs and capital goods shall not be denied solely for certain deficiencies in specified documents or declarations if those documents evidence duty payment, description, assessable value and factory/warehouse details, and if the Assistant Commissioner with jurisdiction is satisfied that duty has been paid and the inputs or capital goods have been or will be used in manufacture; the Assistant Commissioner must record reasons for not denying credit.

Drawback rate revision updates all-industry rates, substitutes sub-serial entries altering goods covered and allocation between customs and central excise
Amendment substitutes table entries to revise all-industry drawback rates, restate goods descriptions for imports under Quantity Based Advance Licence (distinguishing tags/labels and embellishments like zips, buttons and fasteners), and specify the allocation between Customs and Central Excise for each category, plus a separate rate for other made-up garments.

Rescission of anti dumping notification removes prior anti dumping measure on specified pharmaceutical imports originating from foreign sources
The Central Government rescinded Notification No. 152/95 Customs (20 October 1995) withdrawing the anti dumping measure that had applied to imports of theophylline and caffeine from the People's Republic of China, exercising powers under the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 read with the 1995 Anti dumping Rules.

Anti-dumping duty on theophylline and caffeine imports from China calculated as margin between reference amounts and landed value.
Pursuant to section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act and rule 23 of the 1995 Rules, the Central Government imposed an anti-dumping duty on Theophylline and Caffeine originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China. The duty is levied at a rate equal to the difference between the specified reference amounts per kilogram and the landed value of imports. The measure remains effective up to and inclusive of 19 March 2000 unless extended or revoked. "Landed value" means the assessable value under the Customs Act, 1962, including all customs duties except certain tariff and anti-dumping duties.

Exemption from Additional Customs Duty for specified textile imports relieves excess duty on auto coner imports.
The Central Government directs that the duty of customs and additional duty payable in excess of the concessional rates on imports of automatic cone winding machines (Auto Coners) made by the listed textile mills during 21 April 1989 to 31 January 1990 shall not be required to be paid, on account of a prevailing practice of non-levy and following restoration of concessional rates, with relief confined to the specified mills and import period.

Exchange rate adjustment for export goods updates specified foreign currency conversions and takes effect early February.
Amendment to customs notification substitutes entries in Schedule I and Schedule II of the principal notification to revise the rupee equivalents of specified foreign currencies for export goods, issued under section 20(2) of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and clause (a)(i) of sub-section (3) of section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962, with the revised rates effective from 4th February, 1999.