PLANS AND DRAWINGS FOR ARCHITECTURAL, ENGINEERING, INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, TOPOGRAPHICAL OR SIMILAR PURPOSES, BEING ORIGINALS DRAWN BY HAND; HANDWRITTEN TEXTS; PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS ON SENSITSED PAPER AND CARBON COPIES OF THE FOREGOING

Hand-drawn plans, drawings, manuscripts, carbon copies

PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CLEARANCE

HSN 4906 00 00 (plans, drawings, handwritten texts and photographic reproductions on sensitised paper) is subject to the Customs Act, 1962 prohibition on obscene material administered by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18 January 1964 prohibits the import of any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation, figure or article. No sectoral PGA licensing applies to this tariff line beyond the absolute prohibition on obscene content.

What this is

HSN code

4906 00 00

Chapter

49 · Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts

Primary regulator

CBIC · Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18-01-1964 (prohibition on obscene material)

Customs documentation

Import declaration to CBIC
Content compliance declaration from importer

Compliance steps

1
Ensure no item in the consignment constitutes an obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation, figure or article. Import of any such material is absolutely prohibited under Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18 January 1964; detection at the port results in confiscation and potential prosecution.
Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18-01-1964
2
File a standard bill of entry for Chapter 49 goods. No PGA-specific licence, permit, or e-Sanchit document code is mandated for this tariff line beyond the prohibition compliance; however, the proper officer retains authority to examine content for obscenity at the time of assessment.
Customs Act, 1962 · Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18-01-1964

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is underestimating the scope of the obscenity prohibition: the 1964 notification is framed broadly to cover drawings, paintings, representations, and figures — not merely printed text — meaning that architectural renderings, technical illustrations, or artistic originals with sexually explicit content are caught by the prohibition regardless of their stated professional purpose. A consignment detained on obscenity grounds faces outright confiscation, and no post-import rectification is available; content review before shipment is the only safeguard.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4906 00 00 require BIS certification?

No, hand-drawn plans, drawings, handwritten texts and photographic reproductions on sensitised paper are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed solely by the absolute prohibition on obscene material under Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS dated 18 January 1964, administered by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Is any PGA licence or e-Sanchit document code required at the bill of entry for this HSN?

No PGA licence, permit, or mandatory e-Sanchit document code is specified for this tariff line. The only binding requirement is compliance with the obscenity prohibition under Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS; customs examination of content remains at the discretion of the proper officer.

What happens if a consignment under this HSN is found to contain obscene material?

Confiscation of the consignment follows under the Customs Act, 1962 read with Customs Notification No. 01/1964-CUS; depending on the nature of the material, criminal prosecution under applicable penal law may also be initiated.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.