GST hike on paper will affect millions of students' education: OPA

New Delhi: On the proposed hike in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on paper and paperboard, the Offset Printers Association (OPA), which represents India’s printing and packaging sector, warned of a direct impact on the cost of textbooks and educational materials, creating a burden on millions of lower-income families, The Indian Express reported.

General Secretary of OPA Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra said that paper is not merely a commodity but the soul of education, knowledge and culture.

According to TIE, nearly 70 per cent of India’s 2,50,000 printing units produce textbooks and learning materials, and the proposed hike could raise the prices of these by 10 to 15 per cent. This will directly affect more than 200 million students across the country.

Chopra warned that at a time when households are already struggling with rising education costs and inflationary pressures, this GST increase will undermine the government’s vision of ‘Education for All.’ It could widen the gap between privileged and underprivileged children, and threaten the very foundation of literacy, which is the backbone of national progress and social equity, he said.

According to OPA President Parveen Agarwal, when the Centre reduced the GSTs on cartons, boxes and cases from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, the decision to impose 18 per cent GST on paper creates a crippling inverted duty structure. Printing and packaging are silent engines that power education, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, retail and exports, he said, reminding that packaging alone accounts for around 65 per cent of India’s Rs 80,000 crore paper market. He also underscored that the paper industry is deeply ingrained in every household and every sector of the Indian economy.