AKP Corporate & Compliance Digest September 08, 2025

We are delighted to share this week's AKP Corporate & Compliance Weekly Digest. Please feel free to write to us with your feedback at info@akandpartners.in.

1. LABOUR LAW

1.1. Maharashtra Cabinet approves amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, extending daily working hours from 9 to 12

The Maharashtra Cabinet approved amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, extending daily working hours from 9 (nine) to 12 (twelve). The amendments include key changes to multiple sections. Section 54 extends daily work hours to 12 (twelve). Section 55 mandates 30 (thirty)-minute rest breaks after 5 (five) and 6 (six) hours. Section 56 raises the weekly work limit from 48 (forty-eight) to 60 (sixty) hours, while Section 65 increases the overtime cap from 115 (one hundred fifteen) to 144 (one hundred forty-four) hours. Factories must seek government approval to implement these changes, and the 48 (forty-eight)-hour weekly limit remains intact.

1.2. Government of Chandigarh revises minimum rates of wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948

The Labour Department, UT Chandigarh has revised the minimum rates of wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 payables to employees working in shops and establishments in the state. The following are the minimum rates of wages payable for monthly and daily rated employees for the period starting from April 01, 2025 to September 30, 2025:

1.3. ESIC announces the kick-starting of outreach activities for the Amnesty Scheme 2025

Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) formally approved and announced the Amnesty Scheme 2025. This amnesty is a one-time, structured dispute‑resolution mechanism which will be effective from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, and enables employers to settle pending court cases under the Employee State Insurance Act, 1948. Compliance is facilitated by allowing settlements of ad‑hoc assessments via payment of actual contributions plus interest (with no damages imposed); withdrawal of cases where dues have been cleared, subject to 10 per cent (ten per cent) of disputed damages; and withdrawal of cases pertaining to record‑submission delays, upon compliance and court approval.

2. TAX

2.1. Ministry of Finance extends tax exemption deadlines under the Income Tax Rules, 1962

The Ministry of Finance has issued the Income-tax (Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2025, which amends several timelines within rule 2DCA of the Income-tax Rules, 1962. The amendments extend key exemption-related deadlines by substituting "2025-26" with "2031-32," and "2024-25" with "2030-31" in various provisos and explanations. These changes mean that the eligibility years for specified tax benefits and exemptions under section 10(23FE) of the Income-tax Act are now extended up to financial years 2030-31 and 2031-32, providing longer windows for compliance and benefit claims.

2.2. GST Council exempts GST on individual life and health insurance; transition effective 22 September 2025

The Goods & Service Tax ("GST") Council, Ministry of Finance, approved exemption of GST on all individual life insurance policies (term, unit linked insurance plan, endowment) and all individual health insurance policies, including reinsurance thereof, with rate changes on services effective September 22, 2025. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) clarify transition treatment, including that input tax credit already availed may be used for supplies up to September 21, 2025, and must be reversed for exempt supplies from September 22, 2025.

3. STAMP DUTY

3.1. Uttar Pradesh Cabinet caps stamp duty and registration fees on family property partition deeds

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a cap of INR 5,000 (Indian Rupees Five Thousand only) on stamp duty and INR 5,000 (Indian Rupees Five Thousand only) on registration fee for family property partition deeds, replacing the earlier levy of 4 per cent (four per cent) stamp duty plus 1 per cent (one per cent) registration on the property's value to cut costs and incentivize formal registrations.

4. STOCK EXCHANGES

4.1. BSE releases BOLT Pro TWS v12.03; compulsory for Currency, Commodity, EGR from 8 Sep 2025

BSE ("Bombay Stock Exchange") issued notice 20250904-11 dated September 04, 2025, announcing BOLT Pro TWS (BSE On-Line Trading Professional Terminal Workstation) v12.03. Release is compulsory for Currency Derivatives, Commodity Derivatives, and Electronic Gold Receipts. Optional for Equity and Equity Derivatives.

4.2. NSDL issues circular on deadlines time for Pay-in of BSE Mutual Fund Redemption settlement

NSDL ("National Securities Depositories Limited") has revised the pay-in deadline for BSE Mutual Fund Redemption settlements, changing it from 7:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., per ICCL's updated guidelines. Participants can now capture, verify, and release pay-in instructions until this new deadline in the respective NSDL systems, though it is recommended that instructions be processed well in advance. Additionally, forthcoming compliance deadlines are outlined for monthly investor grievance reports, duplicate contact detail checks, and the annual audit action taken report.

4.3. NSDL circulates SEBI extension on digital accessibility compliance; reporting authority updated

NSDL has informed participants about SEBI's extension of compliance timelines related to the Digital Accessibility Circular under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Key deadline extensions granted include an additional month for submission of compliance reports and digital platform lists (new deadline September 30, 2025), three months extension for appointing IAAP-certified accessibility auditors (now December 14, 2025), six months extension for conducting accessibility audits and remediation (new deadlines April 30, 2026, and July 31, 2026, respectively), and an extension for annual audit reporting to the next financial year ending April 30, 2027. Reporting authorities for Investment Advisers and Research Analysts have been changed to BSE Ltd., while other regulated entities will continue reporting to SEBI or stock exchanges/depositories. Participants are requested to take note and ensure timely compliance.

5. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

5.1. CERT-In issues vulnerability notes on multiple Drupal modules

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team ("CERT-In") published CIVN-2025-0203 on multiple contributed Drupal modules. The flaws enable security bypass, sensitive data exposure, and cross-site scripting. Affected modules include Authenticator Login, Facets, Protected Pages, and others. Update to the fixed releases per the linked Drupal advisories.

5.2. CERT-In issues vulnerability notes on Android September bulletin

CERT-In published CIVN-2025-0202 covering Android 13–16. Vulnerabilities span Framework, Runtime, System, Kernel, and several vendor components. Risks include remote code execution, privilege escalation, information disclosure, and Denial of Service. Apply patches from the September 1, 2025, Android security bulletin.

5.3. CERT-In issues vulnerability notes on GitLab products

CERT-In published CIVN-2025-0201 for GitLab CE/EE before 18.3.1, 18.2.5, and 18.1.5. Issues include improper authentication, resource allocation, and code injection that could lead to DoS and data access. Upgrade to the patched versions per the release of GitLab's August 27, 2025.

5.4. CERT-In releases 15 Elemental Cyber Defence Controls guidelines for MSMEs

CERT-In has issued a guideline comprising 15 (fifteen) elemental cyber defence controls and 45 (forty-five) security baseline recommendations aimed at strengthening cybersecurity for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises ("MSMEs") in India. These controls cover essential areas such as asset management, network and email security, endpoint protection, secure configurations, patch management, incident response, logging and monitoring, awareness training, third-party risk management, data protection, governance, robust password policies, access control, physical security, and vulnerability assessments. The document serves as a foundational cybersecurity framework to help MSMEs protect against common cyber threats, comply with legal requirements, and establish resilient digital operations. MSMEs are encouraged to conduct regular audits, integrate these controls into their security policies, and continuously update their cybersecurity posture in response to evolving threats.

5.5. CERSAI onboarded on one of the RBI approved TReDS platforms

The Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India ("CERSAI") has been onboarded as a buyer on one of the RBI-approved Trade Receivables Discounting System ("TReDS") platforms. CERSAI's membership code is CE0073352, and its registration on the platform was completed on June 30, 2025.

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