Goods and Services Tax
The 2017 unified indirect tax on the supply of goods and services, administered through the GST Council.
Verified references:Wikipedia
On UPSC.wiki
Current affairsBharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026: India Replaces 89-Year-Old Aircraft Rules with Modern Aviation RegulationsThe Ministry of Civil Aviation notified the Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026 (published in the Gazette of India on 31 October 2026), replacing the Aircraft Rules, 1937 — a framework over 89 years old. The new rules come into force on 1 January 2027 and are framed under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, which had already replaced the Aircraft Act, 1934. Current affairsGST Amendments Under Finance Act 2026 Effective November 1: Post-Supply Discounts, Export Refunds, and Inverted Duty Relief SimplifiedThe Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) notified November 1, 2026, as the effective date for Sections 153 to 155 of the Finance Act, 2026, bringing three significant GST amendments into force: simplification of post-supply discounts (Section 15 CGST), credit note and ITC reversal rules (Section 34 CGST), and removal of the ₹1,000 minimum export refund threshold plus extension of provisional 90% refunds to inverted duty structure cases (Section 54 CGST). Current affairsCotton Import Customs Duty Exemption Extended to December 31, 2026: CBIC Notification 35/2026 ExplainedThe Government of India extended the exemption from Basic Customs Duty (BCD) and Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on cotton imports until December 31, 2026, through CBIC Notification No. 35/2026-Customs dated October 30, 2026. The measure, covering cotton under HS Tariff Heading 5201, is designed to augment raw cotton availability for the domestic textile sector, ease input cost pressures on spinning mills and MSMEs, and maintain India's competitiveness in global textile and apparel markets. Current affairs57th GST Council Meeting 2026: Decriminalisation, ITC Expansion, and Next-Gen GST Process ReformsThe 57th GST Council Meeting, held on October 8, 2026 in New Delhi under Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, recommended landmark reforms including complete removal of arrest powers under GST law (omission of Section 69, CGST Act), a five-fold increase in the prosecution threshold (₹1 crore to ₹5 crore), expanded Input Tax Credit for health/life insurance and other inputs, automated refund processing, and simplified registration. Most changes are to take effect from April 1, 2027. Current affairs57th GST Council Meeting (October 8, 2026): Arrest Powers Removed, Prosecution Threshold Raised to ₹5 Crore — Key DecisionsThe 57th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was held on October 8, 2026 in New Delhi. The Council approved removal of arrest powers for GST officers under Section 69 of the CGST Act and raised the criminal prosecution threshold from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, shifting GST enforcement from coercive to compliance-trust-based mechanisms. Current affairsIntegrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA): Union Cabinet Creates India's Apex Multimodal Planning BodyThe Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on October 6, 2026 approved the creation of the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) — a Special Purpose Vehicle to serve as India's apex body for integrated transport planning, project appraisal, and logistics coordination across all modes (roads, railways, ports, aviation, inland waterways, urban mobility), aimed at reducing India's logistics costs to global benchmarks under Vision 2047. Current affairsDelhi Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS): Cabinet Approves ₹1,789 Crore AI-Powered Traffic Grid Across 42 CorridorsThe Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the implementation of an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) for Delhi on September 30, 2026, at an estimated cost of ₹1,789.52 crore (including taxes). The system will cover 42 traffic corridors with 1,092 Adaptive Traffic Control Systems and 1,029 enforcement cameras, implemented by Delhi Police over 24 months and maintained for five years. It is India's most comprehensive AI-powered urban traffic management deployment. Current affairsGST Collections September 2026: Gross Revenue Rises 14.7% to ₹2.04 Lakh Crore; Net Revenue Up 18.1%India's gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue for September 2026 stood at ₹2,03,521 crore — approximately ₹2.04 lakh crore — registering a year-on-year growth of 14.7% compared to ₹1,77,365 crore in September 2025. Net GST revenue after refunds rose 18.1% to ₹1,76,520 crore. Cumulative gross GST collections for April–September 2026 reached ₹12,46,278 crore, up 11.6% year-on-year. Current affairsCAFE-III Norms Notified: India Sets 16.7% Fleet Fuel Efficiency Target for Passenger Vehicles by 2031-32The Ministry of Power notified India's Corporate Average Fuel Economy-III (CAFE-III) norms on September 30, 2026. The new standards — effective April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2032 — require the fleet-average fuel consumption of passenger vehicles to improve by 16.7%, from 3.996 litres per 100 km in 2027-28 to 3.327 litres per 100 km in 2031-32. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) sets the standards; enforcement is by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Current affairsInter-State Council (Amendment) Order 2026: Governors and Lt. Governors to Participate During President's RuleThe Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Inter-State Council (Amendment) Order, 2026 on September 19, replacing the original 1990 proviso to specify four situations — including President's Rule under Article 356 and Article 239AB — in which the Governor or Lieutenant Governor of a State or Union Territory shall be invited to attend Inter-State Council meetings. The amendment strengthens the Centre-State coordination mechanism during periods of central administration. Current affairsIndia Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025: Delhi Tops Rankings, National EV Share Reaches 8.25%NITI Aayog and WRI India released the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, ranking Delhi first with a score of 84/100. India's national EV market penetration reached 8.25% in 2025–26, with 2.5 million new registrations — a 25% year-on-year rise — placing the country on a trajectory toward its EV30@30 target. Current affairsGlobal Fintech Fest 2026: RBI on Tokenisation, Agentic AI, and India's Financial Inclusion Index at 70The Global Fintech Fest 2026, held in Mumbai, brought together policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders under the theme "Potential to Impact: Agentic AI | Tokenisation | Quantum: Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance." RBI highlighted tokenisation of financial assets and responsible Agentic AI as the next frontiers of India's fintech evolution. India's Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) rose to 70.0 as of March 2026, up from 67.0 in March 2025.
In previous-year questions
- As of July 2026, total registrations on India's Udyam and Udyam Assist platforms stood at approximately 8.94 crore. Which of the following statements about these platforms is correct?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue for July 2026 stood at approximately ₹2,11,205 crore, registering a year-on-year growth of 15.4%. Which component recorded the highest growth rate?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's net GST revenue (after refunds) in July 2026 was approximately ₹1.81 lakh crore, reflecting 15.8% year-on-year growth. What does a GST tax buoyancy greater than 1 indicate?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The GST Network (GSTN) — the IT backbone of India's GST system — is best described as:UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which of the following products are currently EXCLUDED from the ambit of India's GST (Goods and Services Tax)?UPSC · Current Affairs
- In the context of fintech regulation, the "Account Aggregator (AA)" framework established by the Reserve Bank of India enables which of the following?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The FRBM Act, 2003 (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act) mandates India to limit its fiscal deficit to what percentage of GDP, and how does a 7% GDP growth forecast (ADB, FY27) relate to this?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's gross GST revenue for September 2026 was approximately ₹2.04 lakh crore, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 14.7%. Which component of September 2026 GST collections recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution, inserted by the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act 2016, constitutes the GST Council and defines its composition?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's cumulative gross GST collections for April–September 2026 stood at ₹12,46,278 crore, registering a year-on-year growth of 11.6%. In the GST framework, which tax is levied on inter-state supply of goods or services and on imports, and is governed by a separate Central Act?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's gross GST revenue for September 2026 was ₹2,03,521 crore. What was the net GST revenue (after refunds) for the same month, and what was its year-on-year growth rate?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Natural gas is currently NOT included under India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. If natural gas were brought under GST at a 5% rate (as often recommended), which of the following would be the PRIMARY benefit?UPSC · Current Affairs