FACT CHECK: 28% GST on less than 75% attendance for students is FALSE

Claim

An Instagram post claiming, “Students having less than 75% attendance, will not pay 28% additional GST on their semester fees” was posted on 27th Dec 2024. Several other social media accounts have also repeatedly posted this claim (here and here)

FACT: The news stand to be False as there is no evidence from any official sources supporting the claim

Process of Fact-Checking

Step 1: Google search

Searching about the news and using the help of Google Keyboard Search – “28% of additional GST on semester fee for students having less than 75% of attendance”- the results show a Gemini AI  overview confirming the news.

The top websites that the AI takes the news from, are the original posts from Instagram by the username ‘ssc preparation study materials’  and X (formerly Twitter) “Jay 𝕩 @jayvaidya30”  suggesting the claim that students will be charged an additional 28% GST for attendance default below 75 % in their semester fees.  

The accounts regularly post about technology, research, and writing. The Instagram account focuses on providing study materials and resources for competitive exams like SSC, NTPC, IB, and UPSC. They also promote paid WhatsApp groups for daily study materials, notes, and practice sets.

Step 2: Verification Through Official Sources

We start by searching through the official government websites (in regards to the claim) like the CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs by the Ministry of Finance) and the GST Council website that are known for having regular updates about tax regulations. However, these websites did not report any changes in exemptions or increases in taxation in education centres for low attendance percentages. The 2025 Union Budget by the Ministry of Finance also did not report any such information.

Step 3: Verifying through News

No credible news organisations nor news sources have reported about the claim. As of March 2025, there has been no official announcement or credible sources to prove or support the claims. Hence, we can conclude the information is false and unsubstantiated.

Fact Checking Club

The M.O.P. Fact-checking Club is a student-driven initiative on fact-checking of news stories. The main aim of the club is to build fact checking practice among students. Be a part of our fight against fake news by sending us your queries on WhatsApp at 7358702336.