Ganderbal, Aug 19: A two-day national seminar on “GST Reforms 2.0: Sectoral Growth Prospects and Challenges” began at the Tulmulla campus of the Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir) on Wednesday, bringing together academics, tax experts and policymakers to examine the evolving indirect tax regime and its impact on different sectors of the economy.
Organised by the Department of Commerce, School of Business Studies, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, the seminar seeks to assess the economic and sectoral implications of the latest GST reforms and generate research-based recommendations for policymakers.
Speaking at the inaugural session, CUKashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof. A. Ravinder Nath said GST had transformed India’s indirect taxation system, while subsequent reforms were aimed at addressing emerging challenges and making the framework more responsive to citizens and businesses.
He called for a balanced taxation approach that supports economic activity while promoting environmental responsibility, social consciousness and sustainable consumption. He stressed the need to examine GST reforms from the perspective of different income groups and key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing and services.
Prof. Nath expressed hope that the seminar’s deliberations would produce substantive recommendations that could contribute to the wider policy discourse and eventually reach appropriate authorities, including the GST Council.
Ravenshaw University Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Arka Das Mohapatra, the chief guest, appreciated CUKashmir for creating a platform where academic research, policy experience and field-level perspectives could converge.
He said the effectiveness of tax reforms should ultimately be judged by their impact on ordinary citizens rather than merely by the complexity of the tax structure. He stressed the importance of affordability, quality public services, environmental responsibility and socially conscious taxation.
Additional Commissioner, Sales Tax, J&K, Parvez Ahmed Raina, discussed the practical challenges associated with implementing GST Reforms 2.0. He identified simplification of the rate structure, sectoral rationalisation and a new phase of compliance as key elements of the reform process.
Raina said rate rationalisation could improve affordability and purchasing power but could also create transitional challenges involving tax classification, input tax credit, refunds and registration. He emphasised the role of technology, data analytics and stronger monitoring in addressing these challenges.
Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Shahid Rasool said GST had become an important component of India’s economic architecture and that GST 2.0 should be evaluated beyond rate rationalisation, particularly in terms of its impact on households, businesses, consumption and economic growth.
Dean, School of Business Studies, Prof. Syed Zahoor Ahmad Geelani, said GST was introduced to create a unified national market and simplify India’s earlier fragmented indirect taxation system. He noted that the latest reforms sought to address several challenges that emerged during the implementation of the initial GST framework.
Seminar convenor and Head of the Department of Commerce, Dr Mehraj-ud-Din Shah, said the event was designed to critically examine the immediate and emerging implications of GST 2.0 through an interdisciplinary and research-oriented approach.
He said several research papers had been received for the seminar and subjected to a rigorous selection process, with shortlisted papers scheduled for presentation during technical sessions.
Prof Nisar Ali, Head of the Department of Economics, University of Kashmir, and Prof S. M. Shafi, former Head of the Department of Commerce, University of Kashmir, were also present.
The inaugural programme was conducted by Assistant Professor Dr Rizwana Rafiq, while Dr Arfa Zahoor proposed the vote of thanks.
The seminar will continue with technical sessions focusing on the sectoral opportunities, implementation challenges and broader economic implications of GST Reforms 2.0