Anti-dumping investigation into hot rolled steel imports alleges dumping and invites submissions; prima facie injury asserted.
The Authority initiates an anti-dumping investigation into hot rolled coils/sheets/plates/strips from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan after a petition by domestic producers representing about 78% of production. Petitioners claim normal values for Russia based on local prices and for Ukraine and Kazakhstan on cost-of-production estimates, and assert export prices from customs data, yielding prima facie dumping margins. They allege material injury through increased imports, profit decline, rising inventories and price depression. The investigation covers a specified twelve-month period; interested parties must submit information within forty days and non-cooperation may lead to facts-available findings.

Tax deduction for specified charitable donations expanded to include additional regions and socio economic programmes under notified entries.
Amendment under section 35AC alters Notification No. S. O. 388 (E) by modifying Table entries: Maitri Mandal Trust's territorial coverage is extended to include Gujarat, and Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement's notified activities are expanded to include a socio economic programme under the Integrated Rural Development Project.

Exemption under Section 35AC: designation of a common effluent treatment plant as eligible, extending tax benefit.
Central Government under Section 35AC specifies the setting up of a common Effluent Treatment Plant at P-24, MIDC, Taloja as an eligible project for tax-exemption for a further assessment year, following the National Committee's recommendation to extend the period and enhance the approved project cost; entitlement to exemption is subject to the revised approved cost and applicable procedural requirements under the Income-tax Rules.

Exemption under section 35AC: eligibility of a specified rural health and socio economic programme extended for a further period.
The Central Government specified the comprehensive three tier rural health care and socio economic integrated programme of Arpana Research and Charities Trust in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as an eligible project under section 35AC for a further three year period commencing from the assessment year 1998 99, acting on the National Committee's recommendation and noting an estimated project cost of one hundred twenty lakhs.

Exemption under section 35AC extended for a specified rehabilitation project, confirming continued eligibility and approved project cost.
The Central Government specifies the rehabilitation centre for handicapped of Manovikas Kendra, Calcutta, as an eligible project under section 35AC for a further period of three assessment years commencing from the assessment year 1997-98, at an estimated approved cost of rupees four crores, following the National Committee's recommendation that the project is being executed properly.

Exemption under section 35AC extended for Ida Scudder endowment fund as an eligible project for three years.
The Central Government specified the establishment of an endowment fund for free treatment of in patients and out patients under the Ida Scudder Centenary Project 2000 as an eligible project or scheme, adopting the National Committee's recommendation that the project is being properly executed and extending its eligibility for a further three year period commencing from the relevant assessment year, pursuant to the statutory powers to designate projects for income tax exemption purposes.

Exemption under section 35AC: specified charitable rehabilitation and welfare projects granted extension as eligible projects under the Act.
The Central Government specified construction, furnishing and operation of a free school and hostel for destitute and rural blind children, a rural geriatric block for destitutes, a primary health centre for rural poor children, and a community kitchen and dining hall at a named centre in Andhra Pradesh as an eligible project under the exemption provision, and, following a recommendation by the National Committee that the project was being properly executed, extended that specification for a further period of assessment years at the estimated project cost.

Constituency allowance exemption for Madhya Pradesh legislature members under clause 10(17)(iii) clarified and superseded by notification.
The Central Government notifies that constituency allowance received by Members of the Madhya Pradesh State Legislature is exempt under clause (17)(iii) of section 10 of the Income tax Act up to a prescribed monthly ceiling, superseding the earlier notification and with a corrigendum amending the effective date of the revised exemption.

Place of public worship designation under section 80G permits tax-deduction eligibility for donations toward temple repair works.
The Central Government specified Sri Sundaravaradaraja Perumal Temple, Uttaramerur, Chengalput District, Tamil Nadu, as a place of public worship for the purposes of section 80G of the Income-tax Act, 1961; the recognition applies solely to donations used for the repair and renovation of the temple and is valid only up to a stated monetary ceiling for that purpose.

Section 35AC deduction approval: specified company projects eligible for capped tax deduction for the relevant assessment year.
Approval under Section 35AC is granted to Bajaj Hindustan Limited for specified rural development and public health projects (bio gas plant, pump set distribution, windmill and pump set maintenance, immunisation and cholera vaccination camps, tree plantation and rural extension services) at locations in District Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, with the estimated project cost and a stated maximum amount of that cost allowed as deduction; the approval is operative for a one year period in relation to the notification's assessment year.

Import exemption for highway construction: conditional duty waiver for listed equipment subject to five-year non-sale undertaking.
Nil duty is granted for goods in the newly inserted List 8A when imported for national highways construction by a contractor awarded a contract by the National Highways Authority of India, provided the importer furnishes an undertaking to the Assistant Commissioner of Customs not to sell or dispose of the goods for five years; additionally, imports of items at serial numbers 12 and 13 require a certificate from an officer not below Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Surface Transport (Roads Wing) confirming their requirement for national highway construction.

Tax deduction for notified charitable projects: specified institutions and projects qualify subject to prescribed eligible cost limits.
Notification under Section 35AC approves specified charitable institutions and designates particular projects or schemes as eligible for deduction. For each listed institution the notification describes the project, gives an estimated cost, and specifies the maximum portion of that cost allowable as a deduction, sometimes identifying an amount to be retained as a corpus fund. Amendments to certain cost figures and corpus components are recorded in the notes.

SSI exemption amended to list specific tariff subheadings, defining which goods qualify under central excise notifications.
Amendment directs substitution in the ANNEXURE, para (5), sub para (iii) of Notification Nos. 16/97-C.E. and 38/97-C.E., replacing prior text with an enumerated list of tariff subheadings whose goods qualify for the SSI exemption, issued under the powers of sub section (1) of section 5A of the Central Excise Act, 1944.

Appointment of customs port designation allows Vadinar to handle unloading and loading for refinery project under statutory power.
The amendment designates Vadinar Port to unload crude petroleum and to unload and load machinery and equipment (including project imports) specifically imported for the Essar Oil Refinery Project, effected by substitution under powers conferred by Section 7(a) of the Customs Act, 1962.

Customs port designation limits Ranpar Port to unloading specified chemicals and loading PVC resin for export.
The amendment authorizes Ranpar Port, under powers granted by the Customs Act, to perform only two specified customs-enabled activities: unloading of ethylene, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, and loading of PVC resin for export, by substituting the relevant entry in the notification's table to limit the port's designated functions.

Exemption authority: DGFT may grant policy relaxations with mandated committee consultation and conditional limits.
The Director General of Foreign Trade, under section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, may grant relaxations or exempt persons from export-import policy provisions where genuine hardship or adverse trade impact is shown and may impose conditions; requests must be considered only after consulting the Advance Licensing Committee for Chapter 7 matters or the Policy Relaxation Committee for other matters.

Capital gains exemption: specified long-term debentures qualify for reinvestment relief under section 54EB as notified.
The notification specifies debentures to be issued by Reliance Utilities and Power Limited as long-term specified assets for purposes of section 54EB, making such debentures qualifying instruments for capital gains reinvestment relief, subject to prescribed aggregate issuance limits and a deferred transferability or convertibility condition.

Exemption from capital gains: specified securities designation permits reinvestment in designated shares and debentures under the tax provision.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes specifies particular shares and debentures as specified securities for reinvestment to claim exemption from long term capital gains under the Income tax Act, subject to capped issuance amounts and a condition that the securities be transferable or convertible only after three years.

Capital gains exemption under section 54EA: specified reinvestment in Reliance Ports securities qualifies for relief.
Notification designates particular issuances by Reliance Ports and Terminals Limited as specified securities for exemption under section 54EA, identifying two categories-shares and debentures-each subject to aggregate issuance limits and conditioned to be transferable or convertible only after three years, thereby qualifying reinvestment in those instruments for long term capital gains exemption.

Exemption from capital gains for reinvestment: debentures of Reliance Ports and Terminals qualify as specified long term assets.
The notification designates debentures to be issued by Reliance Ports and Terminals Limited as long-term specified assets for the purpose of section 54EB, subject to the debentures being transferable or convertible after seven years and the issuance falling within the aggregate cap specified in the notification, thereby qualifying such investments for the capital gains reinvestment exemption.