In 2015 Narendra Modi gave a clarion call to make India the ‘Skills Capital’ of the world. The budget for skill development was set at Rs.10,000 crores, more than the previous seven years. To skill 500 million individuals by 2022, albeit a moving target, an investment of around Rs. 6 lakh crore would be required at Rs. 15,000 per head. To achieve this, skills training must be raised to the level of a mainstream school or college education, exempt from GST. If the justification for a subsidised or non-existent GST for all types of education is to bring education within reach of every citizen- why leave out skills training? How can funding for skills-based education be split depending on who imparts it? Skills training by NSDC partners under specific schemes are already GST free. However, there are several restrictions. What are they? And how can the GST system for student-funded and CSR skills training be further improved? Find out here.
