Common adjudicating authority appointed to exercise commissioners' powers for adjudication of a show cause notice concerning M/s Navyuga.
Using powers under sub section (1) of section 4 and sub section (1) of section 5 of the Customs Act, the Central Board of Excise and Customs appoints the Commissioner of Customs (Import), Mumbai Port, New Customs House, Ballard Estate, Mumbai to act as a common adjudicating authority to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the Commissioners of Customs at Nhava Sheva and Chennai for adjudicating matters arising from the show cause notice issued to M/s Navyuga Engineering Company Limited by the Additional Director General, Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence, Mumbai Zonal Unit.

Customs offence compounding now requires prior payment of duty, penalty and interest, with revised offence-wise compounding amounts.
The Customs (Compounding of Offences) Amendment Rules, 2008 revise the compounding framework by making prior payment of duty, penalty and interest a mandatory condition for filing a compounding application. They also substitute the rule on fixation of the compounding amount by prescribing offence-wise amounts for specified customs offences, including fixed amounts for certain offences and market-value-linked amounts with minimum thresholds for others. Where multiple offences relate to the same goods on the same valuation basis, the higher prescribed compounding amount applies. The application form is amended to require particulars of such prior payment.

Designation of Inland Container Depot: Mandavariya (Kishangarh) authorised for unloading imported goods and loading export goods.
Amendment to Notification No.12/1997-CUSTOMS (N.T.) inserts Mandavariya (Kishangarh), District Ajmer as an authorised Inland Container Depot/Land Customs Station for unloading imported goods and loading export goods under the rule-making power of the Customs Act, 1962.

Approval under Section 35 provides conditional tax deduction eligibility for research contributions, subject to audit and reporting.
Approval is granted to the National Institute of Public Finance & Policy, New Delhi as an other institution partly engaged in research under clause (iii) of sub section (1) of section 35, effective from 1 4 2002, subject to conditions requiring utilisation of sums for social sciences research, research through faculty or students, maintenance of separate books of account for research receipts, audit of those books by a qualified accountant with the audit report and a certified statement of donations and amounts applied for research furnished to the tax authority by the return filing due date.

Scientific research association approval requires audited books, certified donation statements, and ongoing genuine research compliance.
Approval is granted to M.P. Birla Medical Research Centre as a scientific research association under clause (ii) of sub section (1) of section 35 read with rules 5C and 5D. Conditions: sole objective of scientific research; research carried out by the organization itself; maintenance of books and audit by a defined accountant with the audit report furnished to the tax authority by the income tax return due date; and a separate auditor certified statement of donations received and amounts applied for research accompanying the audit report. Withdrawal follows specified failures to comply.

Import licensing exemption for high value new vehicles requires Type Approval confirming ECE Regulations compliance at customs.
Amendment exempts certain new vehicles imported by individuals, companies/firms, and OEMs from the condition at Sl. No. (2)(II)(c) where vehicles meet specified value and engine-capacity thresholds. At Customs clearance, a Type Approval Certificate or Certificate of Conformity issued by an internationally accredited agency or an EC Type Approval/COP from an EU member state, with notarized English translation, must be furnished; the Type Approval must state compliance with all ECE Regulations for the complete vehicle.

Customs levy change: exemption condition for iron ore fines amended from specific per tonne rate to ad valorem rate.
Amendment replaces the fixed per tonne charge in Notification No. 116/2008 for iron ore fines with an ad valorem rate, changing the levy mechanism from a specific monetary amount to a value based percentage for goods classified under the relevant heading of the Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act.

Renewal of recognition to Inter-Connected Stock Exchange permitting securities dealings for a limited regulatory period subject to conditions.
SEBI granted renewal of recognition to Inter-Connected Stock Exchange of India Limited under section 4 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, after application under section 3, finding renewal in the interest of trade and public interest. The recognition authorises dealings in contracts in securities for one year from 18 November 2008 to 17 November 2009 and is subject to conditions that SEBI may prescribe or impose.

Basmati rice export conditions impose grain-size, quality certification and port-restriction requirements for permitted exports.
Basmati rice exports are permitted subject to conditions: grain length over 6.61 mm and length-to-breadth ratio over 3.5; pre-shipment quality certification for exports to the Russian Federation from listed or notified agencies; a prescribed minimum FOB price; and export restricted to six designated ports (Kandla, Kakinada, Kolkata, JNPT Mumbai, Mundra and Pipavav). Other provisions of the prior notification remain unchanged.

Import licensing density criterion revised, altering eligibility threshold and affecting Schedule I import classifications under foreign trade policy.
Amendment to Schedule I (Imports) of the ITC(HS) Classifications 2004-09 modifies the import licensing note in paragraph I(1) by replacing the prior density condition with a higher density threshold for eligibility, under powers of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act read with paragraph 2.1 of the Foreign Trade Policy, described as issued in public interest.

Export exception for non basmati rice to select African countries permitted through State Trading Corporation under sourcing and quality conditions.
Ban on export of non-basmati rice is relaxed for Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Cameroon and such exports must be conducted through the State Trading Corporation (STC). Exports are conditional on STC procuring from mills with surplus stock, ensuring exported rice has a minimum proportion of broken kernels, avoiding adverse impact on domestic prices, and sourcing from multiple States in four tranches; all other provisions of the original notification remain applicable.

Import duty exemption for specified small-calibre air pellets sets standard and additional duty rates to nil under amended tariff.
An amendment to the customs tariff inserts a new serial entry to Notification No.21/2002 classifying air pellets of air rifles or air pistols, of 0.177 calibre under Chapter 93 and specifying both the standard rate and additional duty rate as Nil, thereby exempting those pellets from import duty under the powers conferred by section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.

Administrative member reappointment under Delhi VAT law secures tribunal membership continuity for a specified fixed term.
Shri G. K. Marwah, IAS (Retd.) is reappointed as Administrative Member of the Delhi Value Added Tax Appellate Tribunal under the statutory appointment authority of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act for the term from 4 January 2009 to 31 December 2010, by notification of the Lt. Governor through the Finance Department.

Exchange recognition renewal conditioned on operationalisation of a SEBI approved settlement guarantee fund before trading may commence.
SEBI renewed recognition of Cochin Stock Exchange Limited under section 4 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 for one year from 8 November 2008 to 7 November 2009, conditional on the Exchange commencing trading only after the operationalisation of a Settlement Guarantee Fund/Trade Guarantee Fund duly approved by SEBI.

Research donation approval requires separate accounts, auditor report and compliance for tax benefit eligibility under tax law.
Approval is granted to M/s Stephen's Hospital Society as an other Institution partly engaged in research for purposes of clause (ii) of sub section (1) of section 35, conditional on using sums for scientific research, carrying out research through faculty or enrolled students, maintaining separate books of account for research receipts and expenditure, obtaining an audit by a qualified accountant and furnishing the audit report and an auditor certified statement of donations to the tax authorities by the return due date.

Special Economic Zone designation enables development and operation of a multi-product SEZ at Five Star Industrial Area.
The Central Government, invoking Sub section (1) of Section 4 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 and rule 8 of the SEZ Rules, 2006, notifies specified survey/gut numbers at Five Star Industrial Area, Nandgaon Peth, District Amaravati, Maharashtra, as a multi-product Special Economic Zone for development, operation and maintenance. The notification lists individual land parcels by village and survey number with areas and records a total notified area of 1008.36 hectares, reflecting satisfaction of the prerequisites and a prior letter of approval under Section 3(10).

Deemed Inland Container Depot status conferred on multi-product Special Economic Zone, effective from appointed date.
The Central Government appoints 31 October 2008 as the date from which the multi-product Special Economic Zone at Five Star Industrial Area, Nandgaon Peth, District Amaravati, Maharashtra is deemed to be an Inland Container Depot under the Customs Act, 1962, pursuant to powers under sub-section (2) of Section 53 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005; the SEZ is developed by M/s. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

Approval Committee constitution for SEZ establishes composition and member roles for overseeing a multi product Special Economic Zone.
Constitutes an Approval Committee under Section 13 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 for the multi product SEZ at Five Star Industrial Area, Nandgaon Peth, District Amaravati. The Committee's composition includes the Development Commissioner as Chairperson (ex officio), specified ex officio central and state nominees, the Director (Banking), two state nominated Joint Secretary rank officers, and a developer representative as special invitee; the Development Commissioner may be represented by an officer not below Joint Development Commissioner.

Customs tariff amendment splits iron and steel headings, imposing differential duties and a nil rate for specified goods.
The Central Government amends Notification No. 21/2002-Customs by inserting S. No. 77C to cover tariff item 2710 19 20 with "All goods" at Nil rate, and substituting S. No. 198 to treat 7202 (except 7202 70 00, 7202 92 00) as "All goods" Nil, while creating S. No. 198A for 7202 70 00 and 7202 92 00 as "All goods" attracting 5% duty, under Notification No. 119/2008-Cus dated October 31, 2008.

Anti-dumping duty on imported cable ties: reference-price based levies applied against landed value, payable in Indian currency.
Provisional anti-dumping duty is imposed on imports of cable ties (sub heading 3926 90) from the People's Republic of China and Taiwan; duty equals the difference between tabled reference prices (per kg in Indian Rupees) and the landed value of imports, applies to any size and any producer/exporter, is payable in Indian currency, and remains effective up to and including 29 April 2009. "Landed value" is defined as the assessable value under the Customs Act, 1962, including all customs duties except specified tariff levies.