[Prescribed authority for expenditure on scientific research.

6. (1) For the purposes of [[clause (i) of] sub-section (1) and sub-section (2A) of] section 35, the prescribed authority shall be the Director General (Income-tax Exemptions) in concurrence with the Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India.

[(1A) For the purposes of sub-section (2AA) of section 35, the prescribed authority shall be—

(a) in the case of a National Laboratory or a University or an Indian Institute of Technology, the head of the National Laboratory or the University or the Indian Institute of Technology, as the case may be; and

(b) in the case of a specified person, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.]

[(1B) For the purposes of sub-section (2AB) of section 35, the prescribed authority shall be the Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.]

(2)[***]]

[(3) The application for obtaining approval under sub-section (2AA) of section 35 shall be made by a sponsor in Form No. 3CG.

Explanation : For the purposes of this rule “sponsor” means a person who makes an application in Form No. 3CG.]

[(4) The application required to be furnished by a company under sub-section (2AB) of section 35 shall be in Form No. 3CK.]

[(5) The head of the National Laboratory or the University or the Indian Institute of Technology [or the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India] shall, if he is satisfied that it is feasible to carry out the scientific research programme then, subject to other conditions prescribed in this rule and section 35(2AA) of the Act, pass an order in writing in Form No. 3CH :

Provided that a reasonable opportunity of being heard shall be granted to the sponsor before rejecting an application :

Provided further that an order under this rule shall be passed within two months of the receipt of the application under sub-rule (1A) :]

[Provided also that the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India may authorise an officer who is not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary to issue such order, after the scientific research programme has been approved by him.]

[(5A) The prescribed authority shall, if he is satisfied that the conditions provided in this rule and in sub-section (2AB) of section 35 of the Act are fulfilled, pass an order in writing in Form No. 3CM :

Provided that a reasonable opportunity of being heard shall be granted to the company before rejecting an application.]

[* * *]

[(6) The National Laboratory, [University, Indian Institute of Technology or specified person] shall issue a receipt of payment for carrying out an approved programme of scientific research under sub-section (2AA) in Form No. 3CI.]

[(7) Approval of a programme under sub-section (2AA) shall be subject to the following conditions :—

(a) The programme should not relate purely to market research, sales promotion, quality control, testing, commercial production, style changes, routine data collection or activities of a like nature ;

(b) The prescribed authority shall submit its report to the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor] in Form No. 3CJ within a period of three months from the date of granting approval to the programme :

[Provided that the officer authorised by the prescribed authority, being the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, under sub-rule (5) shall submit such report to the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor];]

(c) The sponsor and the National Laboratory, [University, Indian Institute of Technology or specified person], as the case may be, shall submit to the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor] a yearly statement showing progress of implementation of the approved programme and actuals of expenditure incurred thereon;

(d) The prescribed authority shall not extend the duration of the programme or approve any escalation in costs;

(e) The National Laboratory, [University, Indian Institute of Technology or specified person], as the case may be, shall maintain a separate account for each approved programme ; which shall be audited annually and a copy thereof shall be furnished to the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor] by 31st day of October of each succeeding year;

(f) Assets acquired by the prescribed authority for executing the approved programme shall not be disposed of without the approval of the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor];

(g) On completion of the approved programme, a completion certificate along with a copy of the report on the research activities carried out and salient features of the result obtained and its further application for commercial exploitation shall be jointly submitted by the sponsor and the National Laboratory, [University, Indian Institute of Technology or specified person] to the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor] ;

(h) A copy of the audited statement of accounts for the approved programme shall be submitted by the Head of the National Laboratory, University or Indian Institute of Technology [or the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India] to the [Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the sponsor] within six months of the completion of the programme.]

[(7A) Approval of expenditure incurred on in-house research and development facility by a company under sub-section (2AB) of section 35 shall be subject to the following conditions, namely :—

(a) The facility should not relate purely to market research, sales promotion, quality control, testing, commercial production, style changes, routine data collection or activities of a like nature;

[ (b) The prescribed authority shall furnish electronically its report,—

(i) in relation to the approval of in-house research and development facility in Part A of Form No.3CL;

(ii) quantifying the expenditure incurred on in-house research and development facility by the company during the previous year and eligible for weighted deduction under sub-section (2AB) of section 35 of the Act in Part B of Form No.3CL;

(ba) The report in Form No.3CL referred to in clause (b) shall be furnished electronically by the prescribed authority to the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Principal Director General of Income-tax or Director General of Income-tax having jurisdiction over such company within one hundred and twenty days,—

(i) of the grant of the approval, in a case referred to in sub-clause (i) of clause (b);

(ii) of the submission of the audit report, in a case referred to in sub-clause (ii) of clause (b);]

(c) The company shall maintain a separate account for each approved facility; which shall be audited annually and [a report of audit in Form No.3CLA shall be furnished electronically to the Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on or before the due date specified in Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act for furnishing the return of income, for each succeeding year].

Explanation : For the purposes of this sub-rule the expression “audited” means the audit of accounts by an accountant, as defined in the Explanation below sub-section (2) of section 288 of the Income-tax Act, 1961;

(d) Assets acquired in respect of development of scientific research and development facility shall not be disposed of without the approval of the Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.]

[ (8). For the purposes of this rule, the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) shall specify the procedures, formats and standards for ensuring secure capture and transmission of data, and shall also be responsible for the day-to-day administration in relation to furnishing the information in the manner so specified.]