Import duty exemption for edible vegetable oils used to manufacture vanaspati, subject to prescribed customs import procedures.
An amendment adds Table entry 14A exempting edible-grade vegetable oils under Chapter 15 imported for the manufacture of vanaspati, specifying a duty rate of Nil, conditional on compliance with the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty for Manufacture of Excisable Goods) Rules, 1996.

Customs exemption for pulses: amendment adds a tariff entry granting duty-free status to pulses under the notification.
Amendment inserts serial 5B into the Table of Notification No. 23/98-Customs, adding tariff heading 07.13 for pulses and specifying Nil customs duty for pulses under the notification, made under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 in the public interest.

Import restriction on raw silk: permitted only by licence or public notice; mulberry grade 2A+ allowed under SIL conditions.
The ITC(HS) classification is amended to make Raw Silk (not thrown) restricted, permitting import only against a licence or Public Notice; mulberry raw silk is allowed only if Grade 2A or above and solely under a Special Import Licence; the c.i.f. value of the surrendered SIL must be three times the c.i.f. value of the imported goods.

Motor vehicle sale exclusion clarified: two wheeled vehicles and detachable side cars are excluded from sale or purchase definition.
Amendment narrows the scope of the rule governing transactions in motor vehicles by inserting a proviso excluding two wheeled vehicles from the definition of "sale or purchase of a motor vehicle or vehicle" in rule 114B, clause (b); the exclusion expressly covers two wheeled vehicles including any detachable side car with an extra wheel attached to the motor vehicle.

Land customs stations amendment adds a sub-exchange office at Ludhiana, expanding designated customs route listings.
Amendment to the land customs stations schedule under the Customs Act, 1962 inserts a new sub-exchange office at Ludhiana into the Table to Notification No. 63/94-Cus. (N.T.), against Serial Number 8 in column (3), after item (5).

Import licensing for wildlife requires Chief Wildlife Warden recommendation and CITES compliance; research imports also need CPCSEA approval.
Amendments designate imports of animals, birds, reptiles and related items as restricted and permit import only against licences for zoos, zoological parks, circus companies and private individuals on recommendation of the State Chief Wildlife Warden and subject to CITES; recognised scientific or research institutions must also obtain CPCSEA recommendation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act for licence issuance.

Approval under section 36(1)(viii) permits specified tax treatment subject to compliance with statutory conditions.
Peerless Abasan Finance Limited, Calcutta, has been granted governmental approval under section 36(1)(viii) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, for specified assessment years, subject to the condition that the company conforms to and complies with the provisions of section 36(1)(viii); the approval is recorded by an administrative notification reference.

Takeover thresholds revised, increasing trigger levels and imposing a prohibition on acquisitions in final week before offer closure.
Amendments raise the percentage thresholds that trigger disclosure and open-offer obligations, expand the entry band for significant acquisitions under regulation 11, and increase the incremental trigger for aggregation of voting rights. The amendment bars acquirers who, with persons acting in concert, have reached the dominant shareholding ceiling from further acquisitions unless a public offer is made, and inserts a proviso prohibiting acquisitions during the last seven working days prior to offer closure. Disclosure references are adjusted to align with these timing and acquisition provisions.

Exchange rate determination for export goods sets specified currency conversion rates applicable to Indian rupee valuation.
Notification No. 85/98 Cus. (N.T.) determines fixed exchange rates for conversion between specified foreign currencies and Indian rupees for export goods under the Customs Act authority, effective from the notified date. The rates are set out in two schedules: Schedule I provides rupee equivalents per one unit of listed major currencies, and Schedule II provides rupee equivalents per one hundred units for certain other currencies; the notification supersedes the earlier notification.

Exchange rate determination for imported goods: prescribed statutory conversion rates to apply for stamp duty and customs calculations.
The Central Government prescribes the rate of exchange for conversion of specified foreign currencies into Indian rupees for calculating stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and for the purposes of section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 in relation to imported goods, superseding an earlier notification; the fixed rates are set out in Schedule I and Schedule II and apply with effect from 1st November, 1998.

Anti-dumping duty rescission on metallurgical coke from China PR under customs tariff provisions by central government.
The Central Government rescinds the imposition of anti-dumping duties on metallurgical coke originating in or exported from China PR, revoking Notification No. 22/98-Customs dated 6 May 1998, under powers conferred by the Customs Tariff Act and the Customs Tariff anti-dumping Rules, 1995.

Anti-dumping duty on metallurgical coke from China PR imposed, calculated by difference between benchmark and landed value.
Imposition of anti-dumping duty on Metcoke from China PR is made under section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act and relevant rules; duty applies to goods under heading 27.04 and is calculated as the difference between a fixed benchmark and the landed value per metric tonne. The duty is effective from the date of provisional levy. "Landed value" means the assessable value under the Customs Act, 1962 and includes all customs duties except certain specified duties under the Customs Tariff Act.

Export restriction on potato established by notification adding it to controlled exports under foreign trade regulatory power.
The Central Government, invoking Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992 and paragraph 1.3 of the Export and Import Policy 1997-2002, issued a notification adding Potato to Part II of Chapter 16 of the Policy, thereby placing potato under export control and subjecting its export to the Policy's regulatory framework.

Approval under tax provision confirms GRUH Finance's recognition, subject to compliance with the relevant income tax provision for specified years.
Approval is granted to GRUH Finance Limited for recognition under 36(1)(viii) of the Income tax Act, 1961 for specified assessment years, conditioned on the company's conformity with and compliance to the provisions of that income tax provision.

Inland container depot amendment adds Wanjarwadi and Maliwada to permit unloading of imports and loading of exports.
The Central Government amends Notification No. 12/97-Cus. (N.T.) by inserting entry (vii) at serial No. 9 for Maharashtra to designate Wanjarwadi and Maliwada (Aurangabad) as inland container depot sites authorised for the unloading of imported goods and the loading of export goods.

Common Adjudicating Authority appointed for adjudication of specified show cause notices against an importer under Customs Act.
The Commissioner of Customs (Imports), Mumbai is designated as the Common Adjudicating Authority to act as the Commissioner of Customs (Exports), Mumbai, Commissioner of Customs, Chennai, or Commissioner of Customs, Nhava Sheva, as applicable, for adjudicating the specified show cause notices issued in respect of M/s. Le Designco, New Delhi, under the powers conferred by sub section (1) of section 4 of the Customs Act, 1962.

Common Adjudicating Authority appointment designates an alternate Commissioner to adjudicate pending customs show cause proceedings for specified case.
Central Government appoints the Commissioner of Customs, Nhava Sheva to act as the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai for adjudicating the show-cause proceedings issued to M/s Unique Design Enterprises, New Delhi, pursuant to powers under section 4(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, thereby designating the proper officer and aligning adjudicatory competence for that specific matter.

Certificate requirement for software exports: supporting developers must present Form No.10CCAG under section 80HHE.
A new sub rule requires that the certificate to be furnished by a supporting software developer under clause (ii) of sub section (4A) of section 80HHE must be issued by the exporting company and be in Form No. 10CCAG; Form No. 10CCAG is inserted into Appendix II of the Income tax Rules, 1962, and the amendment takes effect on publication in the Official Gazette.

Appeal fee structure revised: tiered filing fees and mandatory bank challan procedure for income tax appeals.
Removes references to the Deputy Commissioner (Appeals) from rule 45 and Form No. 35, updates appellate officer descriptions in Form No. 36, and prescribes a tiered fee schedule for memoranda of appeal and stay applications based on the assessee's total income, requires payment by challan at authorised or specified government banks with transmission of challan copies to the relevant appellate authority, and exempts cross objections from fee while advising that the tribunal will not accept negotiable instruments.

Wealth-tax rules amendment under statutory rulemaking updates wealth-tax regulatory framework with specified rule provisions.
The central tax administration exercised its statutory rulemaking power to amend the Wealth-tax Rules, 1957 by notification dated 22 October 1998, stating the amendment is incorporated in the body of the Rules and providing internal notification identifiers for the issued rule change.