About GST Council

• Goods & Services Tax Council is a constitutional body under Article 279A of the amended Constitution, for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax. 
• The Council was introduced by the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016.
• The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.

Mandate of GST Council

• The Goods and Services Tax Council shall make recommendations to the Union and the States on—
  • the taxes, cesses and surcharges levied by the Union, the States and the local bodies which may be subsumed in the goods and services tax;
  • the goods and services that may be subjected to, or exempted from the goods and services tax;
  • the threshold limit of turnover below which goods and services may be exempted from goods and services tax;
  • the rates including floor rates with bands of goods and services tax;
  • the date on which the goods and services tax be levied on petroleum crude, high speed diesel, motor spirit (commonly known as petrol), natural gas and aviation turbine fuel.
• Quorum: One-half of the total number of Members of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall constitute the quorum at its meetings.
• Voting share: Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a meeting, by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely: —
  • the vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one-third of the total votes cast, and
  • the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast, in that meeting.
• No act or proceedings of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be invalid merely by reason of—
  • any vacancy in, or any defect in, the constitution of the Council; or
  • any defect in the appointment of a person as a Member of the Council; or
  • any procedural irregularity of the Council not affecting the merits of the case.
• Dispute adjudication: The Goods and Services Tax Council shall establish a mechanism to adjudicate any dispute
  • between the Government of India and one or more States; or
  • between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more other States on the other side; or
  • between two or more States, arising out of the recommendations of the Council or implementation thereof.

Why in News?

• The GST Council is set to hold its meeting on 17th of this month.