Commencement date appointed for Central Excise Tariff Act, bringing the Act into force by government notification.
By Notification No. 10/86 C.E. dated 5 2 1986, the Central Government, exercising the power conferred by sub section (2) of section 1 of the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985, appoints the 28th day of February, 1986 as the date on which the Act shall come into force, thereby effectuating the Act's commencement for central excise tariff purposes.

Specification of perishable and hazardous goods for expedited customs seizure to prevent loss, deterioration, or misuse of high risk items.
The Central Government specifies categories of goods subject to seizure under the Customs Act when perishability, depreciation, storage constraints or high value warrant special control. The Schedule lists liquors; photographic films; patent or proprietary medicines; batteries; watches; zip fasteners; electronic goods and components; gold and silver; dangerous drugs; conveyances; man-made yarn and fabric; bulk drugs and chemicals; currency; diamonds and precious stones; ball bearings; cellular phones; software; petroleum products; red sander; sandalwood; and goods with unclaimed provisional release within one month.

Customs notification amendment inserts wrist watch dials into the exemption table under statutory customs authority.
The Central Government, invoking clause (a) of section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, issues Notification No. 23/86 Cus (1 2 1986) amending Notification No. 75 Customs (3 7 1975) by inserting, against Serial No. 2 in column 3, item (b), after sub item (vi) a new sub item (vii): "wrist watch dials", thereby adding that item to the Table annexed to the earlier notification.

Warehousing station designation: Rohtak city classified for customs tariff and related exemption provisions under a customs notification.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs, exercising powers under the Customs Act, declares Rohtak city in Haryana to be a warehousing station by customs notification, thereby classifying the locality for purposes of customs tariff and related exemption provisions applicable to designated warehousing stations.

Customs exemption for exported coffee caps payable duty per quintal, superseding an earlier notification and limiting levy.
Exempts coffee exported from India from customs duty to the extent that duty exceeds a specified cap per quintal, issued under powers conferred by the Customs Act and superseding the prior notification.

Extension of exemption period for polyvinyl alcohol tariff item; notification validity extended to year-end under central excise rules.
Amendment substitutes the expiry date in paragraph 2 of Notification No. 185/83-Central Excises so as to extend the period of the exemption for Polyvinyl Alcohol under Tariff Item 15A, leaving other terms of the original notification unchanged.

Excise duty practice based relief prevents collection of duties where excise and special duties were not levied under prevailing practice.
Direction records an administrative practice under which the duty of excise and special duty of excise on polyacrilonitrile powder used in the factory of production for manufacture of acrylic fibre were not being levied for a specified period, and accordingly directs that those duties shall not be required to be paid in respect of such powder on which they were not levied in accordance with that practice.

Exemption for short-levied excise on Aviation Turbine Fuel directs that omitted duties need not be recovered for specified historic period.
The Government found a prevailing practice caused short levy of excise and related duties on Aviation Turbine Fuel (Tariff Item 11A) from 14 July 1966 to 28 February 1982, including basic excise and additional, special, regulatory and auxiliary duties; it directs that the whole of the portion of those duties which would have been payable but for the practice shall not be required to be paid in respect of Aviation Turbine Fuel short levied during that period.

Extension of exemption effective date: specified customs exemption notifications amended to defer their commencement under delegated powers.
The Central Government, under sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962, amends paragraph 2 of notifications 268/84-Customs, 74/85-Customs and 75/85-Customs by substituting the figures, letters and words "1st day of January, 1986" with "1st day of January, 1987", thereby deferring the commencement date of the specified exemptions.

Extension of customs exemption period for alpha pinene and turpentine by substituting the operative expiry date.
Amendment of a customs exemption notification under sub section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962: paragraph 2 of Notification No.19/85 Customs is amended by substituting the date "1st February, 1986" with "31st day of March, 1987," thereby extending the period of the exemption applicable to alpha pinene and turpentine.

Confiscation and penalty: new rule empowers forfeiture of excisable goods and assets for contraventions to deter duty evasion.
Rule 209 prescribes confiscation of excisable goods and a monetary penalty up to three times the value of the goods or a specified minimum for removal, non-accounting, unlicensed manufacture/ storage, or contraventions intended to evade duty. Where duty thresholds are met or a previously penalised person reoffends, the adjudicating officer may additionally order confiscation of land, buildings, plant, machinery, materials, conveyances, animals or other things used in the offending activity, or other excisable goods produced or stored with such assets, for reasons recorded in writing.

Approved research institution recognition requires separate research accounts and mandated annual audited returns and renewal application.
Approval granted to Tata Memorial Centre as an Association under the Income-tax Act research provision, subject to conditions: maintain separate accounts for research receipts; furnish annual returns of research activities to the prescribed authority by 30 April; submit audited annual accounts and balance sheet showing income, expenditure, assets and liabilities to the prescribed authority by 30 June with copies to the Commissioner; and apply to the tax board three months before approval expiry for extension, with late applications liable to rejection. The notification notes the approval period and office reference.

Approval under section 35(1)(iii) requires annual returns and audited accounts to retain approved research-institution status.
Approval under section 35(1)(iii) designates The National Law School of India as an approved research Institution subject to conditions: maintain separate research accounts; furnish annual research returns to the prescribed authority by 30 April; submit audited annual accounts, income and expenditure statements and a balance-sheet to the prescribed authority and a copy to the Commissioner of Income-tax by 30 June; and apply for renewal through the Central Board of Direct Taxes at least three months before expiry.

Import condition: customs exemption limited to imports used for manufacture of specified penicillin intermediates APA, ADCA, ACA.
Amendment to Notification No. 11/86-Customs inserts the words "for the manufacture of 6 APA or 7 ADCA or 7 ACA" after "when imported into India", thereby conditioning the import treatment of Potassium Penicillin G/V first crystals on their being brought in for manufacture of the specified penicillin intermediates under the authority of section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.

Research Institution Approval under tax law grants conditional exemption subject to accounting, reporting, audited accounts, and renewal.
Approval is granted to the Pune Medical Research Society as an approved institution under section 35(1)(ii) of the Income-tax Act, subject to conditions: maintain separate accounts for research receipts; furnish annual returns of research activities by 30th April; submit audited annual accounts, income and expenditure statement, and balance-sheet to the prescribed authority and Commissioner by 30th June; and apply to the tax board for extension at least three months before approval expiry, with late applications liable to rejection.

Auxiliary duty added to customs exemption schedule by notification amendment, changing tariff treatment under existing exemptions.
The Central Government, invoking powers under the Customs Act and the Finance Act, issues Notification No.25/86 Cus (23 1 1986) to amend Notification No.162/85 Customs by inserting after Serial No.19 a new Serial No.20 referring to Notification No.24/86 Customs, thereby adding an auxiliary duty entry into the Schedule to the earlier exemption notification in the public interest.

Customs exemption for imported steel sheets permits reduced duty when used to manufacture fuel-efficient small cars and vans.
Exempts imported steel sheets and blanks within Chapter 73 from specified parts of customs duty and from additional duty when used to manufacture body panels of fuel-efficient motor cars and vans, subject to certification of an approved programme, a central excise usage certificate confirming incorporation into the vehicles, payment of duty on waste or refuse, and compliance with prescribed fuel-efficiency test procedures conducted by designated testing establishments; the exemption is time-limited.

Notification under section 10(23C)(v): Delhi Catholic Archdiocese recognised for tax exemption purposes for specified assessment years.
The Central Government notifies the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese under the tax exemption provision in clause (23C)(v) of section 10, formally recognising the Archdiocese for the purpose of that provision for a specified range of assessment years and recording the official notification reference for administrative purposes.

Notification under section 10(23C)(v): Govind Bhawan Karyalaya recognized for tax-exemption status for specified assessment years.
The Central Government issued S.O. 647 dated 22-1-1986 notifying Govind Bhawan Karyalaya, Calcutta under section 10(23C)(v) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, for the purpose of that section for the assessment years 1985-86 to 1987-88, thereby declaring the institution as a notified entity within the statutory framework of the provision.

Deposit exemption for small-scale industrial units subject to limits on paid-up capital, depositor count, and no public invitations.
Notification GSR 48(E) exempts specified small scale industrial units from section 58A of the Companies Act, 1956, provided they meet four cumulative conditions: a prescribed ceiling on paid up capital, acceptance of deposits from no more than a prescribed number of persons, no public invitation for deposits, and a prescribed cap on aggregate deposits (or the company's paid up capital, whichever is less). The notification defines small scale industrial unit by state registration and a prescribed investment ceiling in plant and machinery and adopts the Companies (Acceptance of Deposits) Rules, 1975 definition of "deposit."