Many government-related financial services and rules have changed from Wednesday, July 1, with the updates impacting millions of people across India. The latest changes include EPF account holders, Aadhaar users, passport applicants and income taxpayers, while the rule relating to LPG and PNG connections is also expected to come into effect.
The changes have been announced by the relevant government authorities through official notifications and memos.
EPFO services come back online after five-day maintenance
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) will bring its services back online after completing the scheduled system migration and database consolidation.
Read also | EPFO 3.0 to enable PF withdrawal via ATM, UPI coming soon; It is expected to be released soon
Services are scheduled to resume from July 2, according to a notification on the EPFO portal.
Aadhaar email update is free now till December
Aadhaar holders will no longer have to pay fees to update their Aadhaar-linked email address through the Aadhaar mobile app, according to an official notification.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) announced the waiver through an official memorandum issued on June 19. The exemption will remain in effect from July 1 until December 31, 2026. Before that, users had to pay a set fee to update their email address using the app.
The passport fee was reviewed after more than a decade
People applying for a passport will now have to pay higher fees, as the Ministry of External Affairs has revised the passport application fees with effect from July 1, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
This adjustment represents the first significant increase in passport fees since 2012. Under the new rates, fees for the standard 36-page passport booklet have increased from $1500 LBP $2500. The Tatkaal fee for the same passport has gone up to $5000.
Read also | Passport fees have been raised for both new and reissued documents, check the new prices
The Ministry also increased fees for 60-page passport booklets, passports for minors, and police clearance certificates. The revised fee structure applies to passport services in India as well as abroad.
The income tax return deadline is approaching
The countdown has begun for taxpayers filing their income tax returns under ITR-1 and ITR-2, with July 31, 2026, the last date to file returns without penalty.
ITR-1 is generally intended for salaried individuals with limited additional income, such as bank interest. ITR-2 applies to taxpayers who have capital gains, own multiple properties or have an annual income exceeding $50 lakh.
Tax experts advise eligible taxpayers to complete the filing process well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.
LPG and PNG transmission base
The change relating to domestic cooking gas connections may come into force from July.
Read also | You may now have to hand in your cylinders: Why India’s new LPG rule may require a complete switch to PNG
People with LPG and PNG connections have been asked to fully switch to PNG by June 30. However, there has been no official announcement confirming the cessation of LPG supplies.
The rule also states that if someone later moves to an area where PNG services are not available, they will be allowed to reactivate a previously delivered LPG connection.
