Important Rule Changes That Have Taken Effect in India Since July 1, 2026:

Over the past few days, a number of significant rule changes have been implemented throughout India. The updates on EPFO services, Aadhaar, passport fees, banking rules and income tax filing that have started to come into effect since July 1, 2026 will affect millions of people. Here's a simple look at what's changed.

EPFO Online Services Are Back

After a five-day maintenance and system upgrade, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has restored all its online services. The services were unavailable from June 26 to June 30 because of a major software and database upgrade. Since July 1, members can once again access all EPFO online facilities without any interruption.

Updating Your Aadhaar Email is Now Free

Good news for Aadhaar holders. Since July 1, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has made it free to update the email address linked to your Aadhaar through the Aadhaar mobile app. Earlier, users had to pay Rs 75 for this service. The fee waiver will remain available until December 31, 2026.

Passport Application Fees Have Increased

The Ministry of External Affairs has increased the fees for both normal and Tatkaal passport applications from July 1. The revised charges apply to passport applications made in India as well as abroad. This is the first major increase in passport fees since 2012.

New RBI Rule Protects Customers From Mis-selling

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a new rule to protect customers from being mis-sold financial products such as insurance policies or mutual funds. Since July 1, if a customer is wrongly sold such products, they can now claim a full refund and may also receive compensation for any financial losses suffered because of the mis-selling.

Income Tax Return Filing Deadline This Month

July is also an important month for taxpayers. Individuals must file their Income Tax Return (ITR) by July 31, 2026, to avoid late filing penalties.

People with salary income and only bank interest as additional income generally need to file ITR-1. People with more than one house, investing in stocks or mutual funds or earning more than Rs 50 lakh per annum generally have to file ITR-2. Taxpayers are advised to complete the filing process well before the deadline through the official Income Tax portal.