KKHSOU Organises 2 Day National Seminar On GST Reform And Sectoral Growth On North East India

Guwahati : The Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA) of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU), with sponsorship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), organised a two-day national seminar on “GST Reform and Sectoral Growth in India: Insights from Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services, and Emerging Sectors with Special Reference to North East India” on 10^th and 11^th November 2026 at the KKHSOU City Campus, Resham Nagar, Khanapara, Guwahati.

The inaugural session was held on 10^th November at the Zubeen Garg Auditorium of the University, began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp.

Professor Joydeep Baruah, Chairperson of the Organising Committee, delivered the welcome address. He highlighted the changes GST has brought to North East India, particularly the opportunities it has opened up for farmers and young entrepreneurs, and stressed the need to examine its regional implications. Dr Parag Dutta, Organising Secretary, explained the rationale and objectives of the seminar and said it would bring academic knowledge and practical experience together. He thanked ICSSR for its financial support.

Professor Rajendra Prasad Das, Vice-Chancellor of KKHSOU, spoke about the University’s journey and academic programmes, and about the relevance of GST reform to sectoral development and regional growth in the North East.

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Sudhakar Patra, RBI Chair Professor, Utkal University. He traced the evolution of GST since its introduction on 1st July 2017 under the principle of “One Nation, One Tax, One Market”, compared GST 1.0 with GST 2.0, and discussed its effect on household consumption, affordability and savings. He also examined its impact on Assam’s tea industry, handloom and handicrafts, tourism and hospitality, and MSMEs, and offered suggestions for strengthening the GST framework.

Professor Nageshwar Rao, Chairman, NAAC Executive Committee, gave the special address. He spoke about the growing emphasis on outcome-based assessment in accreditation, expectations from GST 3.0, and the link between institutional quality, accountability and the vision of Viksit Bharat. Professor Pranab Saikia, Registrar, KKHSOU, proposed the vote of thanks.

The technical sessions brought together scholars from across the region and the country. Day 1 sessions covered GST and economic growth, firm input costs, Centre–State financial relations, and the impact of GST on manufacturing, revenue trends and tax administration in the North East, including Mizoram and Assam. Speakers included Professor Sacchidananda Mukherjee of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), Professor M. P. Bezbaruah and Professor Susanta Kumar Nayak.

On 11th November , the sessions  examined GST and the digital economy, GST 2.0 and sectoral performance in the North East, and emerging tax issues. A panel discussion on “GST and Sectoral Growth with Special Reference to North East India”, chaired by Professor Mukherjee, includes representatives of academia, the Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) and the chartered accountancy profession. Two parallel technical sessions heared research papers on GST and healthcare expenditure, women’s entrepreneurship, handloom clusters, the services sector, and GST revenue trends in the North Eastern states.

The seminar concluded with a valedictory session, which began with the seminar report presentation by Dr Parag Dutta. The valedictory address was given by Professor Kailash Kumar Kabra of the Department of Commerce, North-Eastern Hill University. Prof. Rajendra Prasad Das, Vice Chancellor, KKHSOU offered the presidential address and Dr. Sanjib Borah, Assistant Organising Secretary proposed an appreciation speech.

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