Appreciation certificates awarded to customs and central excise officers recognizing specially distinguished service under the departmental awards scheme.
Appreciation certificates were awarded to specified Customs and Central Excise officers, across grades from Commissioners to Senior P.A.s, recognising specially distinguished service and issued under the departmental grant-of-awards scheme as published in the Gazette notification and subsequently amended.

Exemption under section 10(22B): Press Trust of India recognised as news agency for specified assessment periods.
The Central Government specifies the Press Trust of India, New Delhi, as a qualifying news agency under the income-tax exemption clause, on the basis that it is set up in India solely for collection and distribution of news; this departmental notification makes the Press Trust of India eligible for the exemption for the assessment years 2000-2001 to 2002-2003.

Research institution approval under section 35(1)(ii) conditions tax-exemption eligibility for listed organisations subject to reporting and accounts.
Specified organisations are approved as Institutions for research-related deduction under clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Income-tax Act for stated periods, subject to maintaining separate books for research, filing an annual scientific research return to the Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research by 31 May, and submitting audited annual accounts and audited income & expenditure accounts for research to designated tax and research authorities by 31 October, in addition to the return of income.

Research institution approval requires separate research accounts and annual DSIR returns and audited submissions to authorities.
Approval is granted to specified organisations as Institutions under clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, for the notified period. Approved institutions must maintain separate books for research activities, file an annual return of scientific research activities with the Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research by 31 May, and submit audited annual accounts and a separate audited Income & Expenditure Account for research activities to designated tax and DSIR authorities by 31 October, alongside their income-tax return.

Research exemption approval requires separate research accounts and prescribed annual audited filings and returns by university.
The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University is approved as a University for the purposes of section 35(1)(ii) for 1 4 99 to 31 3 2000, subject to maintaining separate research accounts, furnishing an annual return of scientific research activities to the Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research by 31 May, and submitting audited annual accounts and audited Income & Expenditure Account for research to designated income tax and DSIR authorities by 31 October, in addition to the return to the Assessing Officer.

Exemption specification for news agencies confirms tax-exempt recognition for a designated agency during specified assessment years.
Central Government specifies the Press Trust of India Limited as a news agency for purposes of the Income-tax Act, treating it as established in India solely for collection and distribution of news; the specification is effected by notification under the Act and is limited to the assessment years stated in the notification.

Exchange rate determination for exports under Customs Act; specified currency conversion rates fixed and made effective from February.
The Central Government, exercising powers under the Customs Act, determines definitive exchange rates for conversion between specified foreign currencies and Indian rupees for export goods, superseding the prior notification; the applicable rates are set out in two appended schedules (single-unit and per-hundred-unit currencies) and apply from the stated effective date.

Exchange rate fixation for imported goods enables uniform valuation and stamp duty calculation under Indian Stamps and Customs Acts.
Fixes the rate of exchange for specified foreign currencies for calculating stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act and for application of section 14 of the Customs Act in relation to imported goods, superseding the prior notification; conversion rates are prescribed in two schedules for the listed currencies and take effect from the first day of the relevant month as the operative reference for customs valuation and stamp duty computation.

Recommendation certificate requirement for foreign contribution applications mandates competent authority endorsement before permission or registration.
The Rules amend Forms FC-1A and FC-8 to require an attached recommendation certificate, inserting items asking whether such a certificate is attached and prescribing a certificate form. The certificate requires the competent authority to certify an association's formation or activities, verify antecedents, confirm project locality and benefit or prior welfare expenditure, and recommend grant of prior permission or registration; permitted recommending authorities include the District Collector, a State Government Department, or a Government of India Ministry/Department.

Duty exemption under Pass Book Scheme updated to add Mundra as a permitted import location, expanding port coverage.
Notification No. 5/2000-Customs amends condition (iv) of Notification No. 34/97-Customs by substituting the words "Pipavav, Dahej and Mundra" in place of "pipavav and Dahej", thereby adding Mundra to the list of ports eligible for duty-exempt imports under the Export Promotion Pass Book Scheme of the Exim Policy 1992-1997.

Research institution approval under section 35(1)(ii) requires separate research accounts, annual DSIR returns by May and audited filings by October.
Approval is granted to specified organisations as Institutions for research expenditure deduction, conditional on maintaining separate research accounts, filing an annual return of scientific research activities with the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research by 31 May, and submitting audited annual accounts and audited income-and-expenditure accounts for research activities to designated tax and scientific authorities by 31 October, in addition to the regular income-tax return.

Tax exemption approval under section 10(23G) granted to designated infrastructure enterprises, subject to compliance and audit conditions.
Government approval was granted to specific enterprises as eligible infrastructure undertakings for income tax exemption purposes for the assessment years 1999-2000 through 2001-2002, subject to continued conformity with statutory provisions and procedural rules; approval is liable to be withdrawn if an undertaking ceases to provide infrastructure services, fails to maintain and audit prescribed books of account, or fails to furnish the required audit report.

Approval under section 36(1)(viii) confirms corporate eligibility for long term industrial finance tax treatment, subject to compliance.
Approval is granted to M/s Delhi Financial Corporation as a corporation engaged in providing long term finance for industrial development for the purposes of section 36(1)(viii) of the Income tax Act, subject to the condition that the Corporation shall conform to and comply with the provisions of section 36(1)(viii).

Tax exemption approval for a software technology park is subject to statutory compliance and audit requirements.
Approval is granted for tax exemption of the Software Technology Park at Chennai operated by M/s. Tidel Park Limited as an industrial park, subject to mandatory compliance with the governing tax provision and procedural rule, adherence to annexure terms of a prior notification, maintenance of prescribed books of account, conduct of audits, and furnishing of the audit report; the Central Government may withdraw approval for cessation of infrastructure services or failure to comply with accounting and audit requirements.

Tax exemption under section 10(23C)(iv) granted to a memorial trust, subject to application, investment and compliance conditions.
Notification under section 10(23C)(iv) notifies the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust for specified assessment years subject to conditions: apply or accumulate income wholly and exclusively to its objects; invest funds only in permitted forms (excluding certain voluntary contributions held as jewellery, furniture, etc.); exclude business income unless incidental to objectives with separate books maintained; and regularly file returns of income in accordance with the Income-tax Act.

Remuneration cap for board meeting fees established by amendment; fee per director meeting now subject to statutory limit.
The amendment substitutes rule 10B to provide that, for the purposes of the first proviso to the relevant statutory provision, the amount of remuneration by way of fee for each meeting of the Board of directors or a committee thereof shall not exceed the prescribed maximum.

Exemption scope: removal of exclusion for goods under Chapter 24 and heading 21.06 from specified excise notifications
The Government directs that the words excluding "goods falling under Chapter 24 or heading No.21.06" be omitted from the opening paragraph of Notification No.32/99-CE and Notification No.33/99-CE, thereby removing that exclusion and altering the operative coverage of those notifications.

National Savings Certificates set maturity encashment at Rs.190.12 per Rs.100; interest accrues annually and reinvests.
Amendment fixes maturity encashment at Rs.190.12 per Rs.100 for certificates purchased on or after 15 January 2000, with other denominations proportionately calculated. Annual interest accrues at specified rates and interest accrued at the end of each year up to the fifth year is deemed reinvested and aggregated with the face value. Interest schedule for Rs.100: Year1 Rs.11.30; Year2 Rs.12.50; Year3 Rs.14.00; Year4 Rs.15.58; Year5 Rs.17.35; Year6 Rs.19.31.

Post Office Monthly Income Account: deposits from 15 Jan 2000 bear 11% annual interest rate.
The amendment inserts into rule 8(1) of the Post Office (Monthly Income Account) Rules, 1987 that deposits made on or after 15 January 2000 shall bear interest at 11 per cent per annum, placed immediately after the existing provision regarding deposits made on or after 1 January 1999 which specified 12 per cent per annum.

National Savings Scheme interest revised to 10.5% p.a., calculated monthly on lowest balance and credited annually.
Amendment substitutes rule 6(1) to set the interest rate at ten and a half per cent per annum from the date of notification, with interest allowed for each calendar month on the lowest balance between the close of the tenth day and the month end, and calculated and credited to the account at the end of each year; previously the rate for 15 September 1992 to 14 January 2000 had been eleven per cent per annum.