IIT-Delhi, Anna University & several other institutes get GST notice

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

NIRF rankers IIT Delhi and Anna University, receiving GST show cause notices worth several crores over the last few days on their past research funding, the Union Education ministry is learnt to have stepped into the picture.

ET has learnt that the ministry is closely examining the issue and may soon escalate the matter to the Finance Ministry and GST Council for reconsideration.

IIT Delhi and Anna University apart, several state and deemed universities are among institutes that have received show cause notices earlier this week from the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Intelligence. Most institutes have been asked to respond to the notice within a month, failing which action would be taken against them.

Most of these pertain to research funding obtained over the last few years.

IIT Delhi is learnt to have received a notice for Rs 120 crore in GST while Anna University has been asked to cough up Rs 36 crore for research funding in the period 2017-18 to 2021-22. Both are leading institutes of the country as also seen in the recent NIRF 2024 rankings.

The issue has evoked a strong response from the academic community which has termed this a move which will stifle the research ecosystem across institutes and demoralise academics.