New Delhi: The Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council, in its 56th meeting held on Wednesday, announced a extensive change in the country's indirect tax system, simplifying the rate structure and providing relief on several everday items. As officials put it, the move reflects the government’s vision of 'Education made affordable for all.'
Among the biggest takeaways was the decision to make a host of stationery products tax-free, a move that will particularly benefit students and educators.
Items that will no longer be applicable in GST include:
Maps, atlases, wall maps, topographical plans, globes, and similar charts
Pencil, Sharpeners
Pencils - including mechanical pencils
Crayons, pastels, and drawing charcoals
Chalk
Erasers
Exercise books, graph books, laboratory notebooks, and other notebooks
Until now, most of these itesm were taxed at 12%, with erasers taxed at 5%.
Announcing the changes, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Council had cleared a two-tier GST system aimed at reducing complexity.
This makes a shift from the earlier four-slab structure of 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%. The new rates will come into effect from 22 September, 2025, coinciding with the start of Navratri.
According to the Finance Minister, this overhaul will not only simplify compliance but also ease the financial burden on the common man, especially when it comes to essential goods like stationery used daily by students.
