From mandatory Aadhaar for PAN application, rail fare hike and revised Tatkal ticket booking rules, to updated credit card charges and a fuel ban on older vehicles in Delhi, a wide range of new rules will come into effect across sectors including rail transport, taxation, and banking from Tuesday, July 1.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has made Aadhaar verification mandatory for new Permanent Account Number (PAN) card applications. Earlier, a valid identity card and birth certificate sufficed for new PAN card applications.
CBDT has extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for the assessment year 2025-26 to September 15, from the original date of July 31. The extension implies that salaried individuals will get an additional 46 days to file returns.
SBI card offers complimentary air accident insurance when flight tickets are purchased using their card. The insurance benefit only covers the primary cardholder. From July 15, it is discontinuing this on select premium cards.
HDFC Bank will begin levying service fees on specific types of digital transactions. Customers using HDFC credit cards will be charged a 1 per cent fee on rent payments, wallet reloads above Rs 10,000 and gaming transactions over Rs 10,000.
The bank has also announced that credit card users can now earn up to 10,000 reward points per month on insurance premium payments.
ICICI bank has revised charges for ATM transactions. For ICICI Bank ATMs, the first five financial transactions each month will remain free, after which you'll be charged Rs 23 per transaction; non-financial transactions will continue to be free.
Axis Bank is increasing charges for ATM transactions beyond free monthly limits for savings, NRI, trust, Priority, and Burgundy account holders. For example, out-of-network ATM withdrawals will now cost Rs 23 per transaction.
In an effort to improve air quality, the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi will begin enforcing a fuel ban on End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles. According to the new system, Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are being installed at all 520 petrol and diesel stations in Delhi. These cameras will capture the registration numbers of vehicles entering fuel stations and check them against the VAHAN database.
The system is capable of identifying vehicles that are marked “off-road” or those without valid Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC). If such a vehicle is detected, the system will trigger an audio alert to inform the driver, and the vehicle will be denied fuel service.
Indian Railways will implement a marginal hike in passenger fares across select classes. According to the Railway Ministry, fares for non-AC classes in Mail and Express trains will increase by 1 paise per kilometer, while AC class fares will go up by 2 paise per kilometer.
Only verified users will be able to book Tatkal train tickets through the IRCTC website and app. Verification will be carried out using Aadhaar or other government-issued identification documents linked via DigiLocker. In addition, the railways plan to roll out OTP-based authentication for Tatkal ticket bookings by the end of July.
At present, Indian Railways prepares reservation charts four hours before a train's departure, which gives waitlisted passengers limited time to make other travel arrangements. To address this, the railways will now finalise reservation charts eight hours before the scheduled departure time.
(with inputs from agencies)
