Ganderbal, Aug 19: The Department of Commerce, School of Business Studies, Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir), in collaboration with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, on Wednesday began a two-day national seminar on “GST Reforms 2.0: Sectoral Growth Prospects and Challenges” at the Tulmulla campus.
Vice-Chancellor CUKashmir, Prof. A. Ravinder Nath, said GST had transformed India’s indirect tax system, while subsequent reforms sought to address emerging challenges and make taxation more responsive to citizens and businesses.
He called for a balanced approach that supports economic activity while promoting environmental consciousness, social responsibility and responsible consumption. He stressed the need to examine GST reforms across income groups and key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing and services.
Prof. Nath expressed hope that the deliberations would generate substantive recommendations for policy discourse and could eventually be placed before authorities, including the GST Council.
Ravenshaw University Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Arka Das Mohapatra, the chief guest, said taxation ultimately affects citizens’ daily lives and its success should be measured by whether its benefits reach ordinary people.
He called for greater focus on affordability, quality of services, environmental responsibility and socially conscious taxation. He also suggested using tax policy to encourage environmentally responsible manufacturing and healthier consumption while keeping essential goods affordable for vulnerable sections.
Additional Commissioner, Sales Tax, J&K, Parvez Ahmed Raina, outlined the practical challenges of implementing GST Reforms 2.0. He identified simpler rate architecture, sectoral rationalisation and a new phase of compliance as key features.
Raina said rate rationalisation could improve affordability and purchasing power but could also create challenges related to rate transitions, classification, input tax credit, refunds and registration. He stressed the need for technology, analytical tools and stronger monitoring to address these issues.
Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Shahid Rasool said GST 2.0 should be assessed beyond rate rationalisation, particularly for its impact on growth, consumption, businesses and households. He said awareness and dissemination of information among stakeholders would be crucial for successful implementation.
Dean, School of Business Studies, Prof. Syed Zahoor Ahmad Geelani, said GST was introduced to create a unified national market and simplify India’s complex indirect tax structure. He said GST 2.0 sought to address limitations that emerged during the first phase.
Head, Department of Commerce and seminar convenor, Dr. Mehraj-ud-Din Shah, said the seminar aimed to critically examine the immediate and emerging implications of GST 2.0 through a research-oriented and interdisciplinary approach.
He said research papers received for the seminar were subjected to a rigorous selection process, with selected papers being presented during technical sessions.
Prof. Nisar Ali, Head, Department of Economics, University of Kashmir, and Prof. S.M. Shafi, former Head, Department of Commerce, University of Kashmir, were present.
Asst Prof. Dr. Rizwana Rafiq conducted the programme, while Dr. Arfa Zahoor proposed the vote of thanks.
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