ITANAGAR, Sep 9: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, while expressing worries pertaining to probable taxation on research grants, has urged for research grants received by Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in Arunachal Pradesh including universities to be exempted from the GST ambit.
The Dy CM made this pitch while attending the 54th GST Council Meeting held today at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi, which was chaired by Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman, and co-chaired by MoS Pankaj Chaudhary.
In line with the discussions at the meeting, Mein said that “he has requested for research grants received by Universities and Institutions in Arunachal Pradesh to be exempted from the purview of GST”.
In support of his request, the Dy CM stated that the nature of research grants may be treated as a subsidy owing to its overarching impact on the welfare and benefit of the public, without leading to commercialization or business, according to a statement from the Dy CM’s media cell.
During the meet, Arunachal Pradesh formally endorsed the minutes of the 53rd GST Council meeting and the decisions of the GST Implementation Committee (GIC) regarding deemed ratification.
The State also supported the recommendations of the Law Committee, Fitment Committee, and IT Grievance Redressal Committee, particularly the proposed adjustments to GST rates for goods and services.
Furthermore, in a bid to streamline financial transactions, Arunachal Pradesh has integrated UPI, Credit Card, and Debit Card payment options.
The State also expressed support for the B2C e-Invoicing Pilot Project, which is anticipated to simplify invoicing processes and improve efficiency.
Additionally, Arunachal Pradesh endorsed proposals related to the ITC re-claim ledger and RCM ledger, aiming to resolve mismatch issues. The State also backed the proposal for enhanced data sharing to optimize GST compliance and supported the exemption of individual health insurance premiums and pure-term individual life insurance policies, including their reinsurance.
The GST Council meeting aimed to streamline financial operations, improve compliance, and deliver broader benefits to the public by creating a more efficient and transparent tax system nationwide.
Among other dignitaries who attended include Chief Ministers of Goa and Meghalaya, Deputy Chief Ministers from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, as well as Finance Ministers from various States and Union Territories along with senior officers from both Union and State governments.