Anti-dumping duty continuation on Sodium hydrosulphite extended pending review, maintaining existing measures under the Customs Tariff Act.
Continuation of anti-dumping duty on Sodium hydrosulphite from Germany and Korea RP is extended pending review; the Central Government amended the earlier notification under the Customs Tariff Act and anti-dumping rules to insert a paragraph keeping the duty in force until the specified terminal date unless revoked earlier, thereby preserving the existing measure while the review proceeds.

Anti dumping duty continuation on Vitamin E extended pending review to maintain measure until further notice.
The Central Government, exercising powers under section 9A (sub sections (1) and (5)) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and rule 23 of the relevant Rules, amends Notification No. 145/2003 CUSTOMS to insert a paragraph preserving the anti dumping duty on Vitamin E acetate originating in or exported from the People's Republic of China, expressly providing that the notification remains in force until a specified future date unless revoked earlier, pending completion of the designated authority's review.

Special export controls on codeine-containing drug formulations restrict cross-border export in designated border areas to prevent illegal trafficking.
The Central Government, invoking Section 11 I of the Customs Act, 1962, specifies drug formulations containing Codeine or its salts as goods subject to special measures to check illegal export and facilitate detection in the Indo Bangladesh land border areas of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, in terms of Notification No. 31/2008 Customs (N.T.).

Ban on non-basmati rice exports: limited exemptions permit conditional exports subject to registration, port restrictions and minimum FOB pricing.
The notification bans exports of non-basmati rice while authorising conditional exports from privately held stocks or through designated PSUs for specified relief, food-aid and bilateral programmes, organic and seed-quality exceptions; exports require prior contract registration with DGFT or APEDA, confirmed letters of credit, performance bank guarantees, adherence to Minimum Export Price or minimum FOB pricing where prescribed, and, for certain categories, restricted port shipments and pre-shipment quality certification.

Export prohibition on edible oils limited by exemptions for castor, coconut via Kochi, deemed EOU inputs, SEZ supplies.
Immediate export prohibition on edible oils is imposed under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act and FTP, subject to specified exemptions: export of castor oil; export of coconut oil through Kochi/Cochin port; deemed exports of edible oils from DTA to 100% EOUs for production of non edible goods; export of oils from minor forest produce listed by ITC (HS) codes; and export from DTA to SEZs for consumption by SEZ units in manufacture of processed food products.

Prohibition on export of pulses extended, excluding Kabuli Chana, under Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act authority.
The Central Government, under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992 and the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-2009, substitutes Para 3(i) of a prior notification to extend the prohibition on exports of pulses, excluding Kabuli Chana, thereby continuing the administrative export ban and noting the measure is issued in the public interest.

Export-related service tax exemption: specified exporter services exempted subject to documentary proof and refund limits.
Inserts exemptible exporter services: custom house agent services require agent invoice with shipping bill reference and charge details plus details of other services; collection and letter of credit services require evidence linking use to exported goods; services by commission agents abroad require agreement, shipping bill declaration of commission, proof of export and payment, with exclusions for canalized items, project exports, government or EXIM Bank financed exports, and foreign joint venture equity transfers; refund for commission agent service tax limited to actual tax paid or tax on two percent of FOB value, whichever is less.

Customs duty amendments: revised tariff entries set specified duties and insert new edible goods classifications.
Amendment alters Notification No. 21/2002-Customs by inserting new tariff entries and substituting existing entries to change duty treatment for specified HS headings, including a new entry for Butter and ghee, revised duty descriptions (Nil or specified duty levels) for multiple serial numbers, and separate treatment for crude/edible and refined/edible grades of certain vegetable fat and oil headings, effected under section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.

VAT schedule amendment adds embroidery items, revises packaged dairy and snack entries, and inserts lamps, locks, measures, boards.
Amendments to the Delhi VAT Act Schedules add embroidery and zari items to the First Schedule; in the Third Schedule omit one entry, substitute the entry for sweets and related foods to include sweetmeats, namkeens and packaged curd/lassi/flavoured milk/yogurt sold in sealed containers, and add compact fluorescent lamps and electronic chokes (standards or energy rated), locks, weights and measures, and fibre/particle board made from agricultural waste.

Qualified institutional buyer status granted to qualifying NBFCs, enabling application of SARFAESI Act provisions.
SEBI designates certain non-deposit taking NBFCs registered under the RBI registration framework as qualified institutional buyers for the SARFAESI Act where they meet specified asset-size thresholds or, for a lower asset threshold category, meet a prescribed Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio in the last audited balance sheet, pursuant to clause (u) of sub section (1) of section 2 of the SARFAESI Act.

Regulatory fees revised for securities filings with new tiered structures and reduced minimum charges taking effect immediately.
The amendment revises payment obligations and substitutes new tiered fee schedules across buy-back, merchant banker public and rights issues, takeovers, mutual funds, custodians and venture capital funds, effective April 1, 2008; it mandates payment of the revised fees at the time of submission of offer documents or draft letters of offer, prescribes banker's cheque or demand draft for certain filings, and adjusts percentage rates, minima, maxima and flat caps in the relevant Schedules.

Customs exemption continuation: expiry replaced with indefinite "until further orders" to keep DEPB imports exempt pending revocation.
Amendment removes the fixed expiry in paragraph 2 of Notification No. 89/2005-Customs concerning exemption for goods imported under the Duty Entitlement Pass Book scheme, substituting the words "until further orders" for the prior calendar termination, thereby continuing the exemption indefinitely until expressly revoked or replaced under powers conferred by the Customs Act.

Livestock product imports: certain raw and processed animal goods now face a two-tier permit/NOC exemption and inspection regime.
The notification amendment adds four categories of raw animal products (hair/bristles and wastes; bird skins and feathers; raw hides and skins of bovine, equine and small ruminants and other raw skins; raw furskins) and creates a two-tier import authorisation regime: paragraph 3(I) exempts specified products from a sanitary import permit but requires a No Objection Certificate from designated quarantine officers after inspection; paragraph 3(II) lists articles exempt from both sanitary import permit and No Objection Certificate. The amendment is effective on publication.

Special Economic Zone expansion: central government notifies additional land to an IT/ITES SEZ under SEZ Act.
Central Government notifies an additional 1.31 hectares to the sector specific Special Economic Zone for information technology and information technology enabled services at Outer Ring Road, Devarabeesanhalli Village, Varthur Hobli, Bangalore East Taluk, Karnataka, exercised under powers conferred by the SEZ Act and in pursuance of the SEZ Rules after satisfaction of statutory prerequisites; the notification records the prior notified area and includes administrative notes referencing subsequent de notification notifications for portions of the area.

Amendments to import classification impose restrictions on nuclear-related materials and tie licensing to Atomic Energy Act.
The notification amends Schedule I (Imports) of the ITC (HS) Classifications to designate specified HS tariff lines as Restricted or Free, with numerous nuclear related items listed as Restricted and subject to the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and rules. It deletes the "List of Prescribed Substances" under Chapter 26 and amends Import Licensing Note No.1 of Chapters 26 and 28 to require that imports of "Prescribed substances" notified by the Department of Atomic Energy comply with the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and corresponding rules.

Designation under sub-section (1B) of section 35B: substituted Chief Commissioners and Commissioners' Committees for review jurisdiction.
Amendment under sub-section (1B) of section 35B substitutes the Table entries for Sl. No. 25 and 55 in Notification No. 25/2005-Central Excise (N.T.), designating the Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Goa and Commissioner of Central Excise, Pune-II with Commissioner of Central Excise (Appeals), Goa for Sl. No. 25; and designating Commissioner of Central Excise, Pune-III and Commissioner of Central Excise, Pune-I with Commissioner of Central Excise (Appeals), Pune-III for Sl. No. 55.

Income-tax Rules amendment updates return forms and their applicability, replacing ITR-1 to ITR-8 and revising commencement.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes, under Section 295, issues the Income-tax (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2008, effective from the prescribed commencement date, substituting date references in rule 12 sub-rules (1) and (5) and replacing Appendix-II by substituting Forms ITR-1 through ITR-8 with updated forms and instructions specifying each form's taxpayer class and applicability, including the exclusion of ITR-7 from e-filing.

Inland Container Depot designation added permitting unloading of imports and loading of exports at Madho Singh location.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, under section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, amends Notification No. 12/1997 by inserting item (xii) at serial number 12 to designate "Madho Singh (Near Railway Station), District Sant Ravi Das Nagar" as an Inland Container Depot/land customs entry for the unloading of imported goods and the loading of export goods.

Jurisdiction reallocation: amendment pairs Pune, Goa and Belgaon offices to redefine customs review committee responsibility.
The Board amends Notification No. 40/2005 Customs (N.T.) by substituting the Table entry at Sl. No. 25 to reallocate review jurisdiction: Commissioner of Customs, Pune paired with Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Goa; Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Goa paired with Commissioner of Customs, Pune; and Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Belgaon paired with Commissioner of Central Excise, Goa and Commissioner of Central Excise (Appeals), Goa.

Approval Committee for SEZ IT/ITES/BPO constituted to specify membership and jurisdictional representation for the Madhuranthagam SEZ.
Constitutes an Approval Committee for a Special Economic Zone for IT, ITES and BPO at Madhuranthagam Taluk, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu developed by M/s. Chennai Business Park Private Limited under Section 13(1) of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005. The committee's membership includes the Development Commissioner as Chairperson, ex officio members from central and state departments with territorial jurisdiction (Commerce, Foreign Trade, Customs/Central Excise, Income Tax, Banking Division, Tamil Nadu industrial authorities and State Industries Secretary) and a special invitee representing the developer.