No relief on 18 pc GST on coaching fees, budget disappointing, say NEET aspirants

Kota (Rajasthan), Jul 24 (PTI) NEET aspirants in this coaching hub have termed the budget a “disappointment” as no relief was announced in the 18 per cent GST on coaching fees even as they demanded that education loans should be interest-free.

“Education is a right, there should be no tax on it,” Vaishnavi, a NEET aspirant from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, told PTI here.

“If the GST on coaching fees was reduced, it could have relieved financial pressure on our parents but it’s a disappointment that no such announcement was made,” she added.

The Union Budget 2024-25 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Vaishnavi, however, appreciated the reduction in interest rates on education loans, saying it would help students from poor financial backgrounds.

“The 3 per cent interest reduction on education will be helpful for students, who cannot afford to pay high fees,” she said.

Another NEET aspirant, Mahendra Solanki from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, also expressed dissatisfaction over the budget’s lower allocation for education and the continued GST on coaching fees.

He echoed Vaishnavi’s sentiments saying that “education is a right and education loans should be interest-free”.

The students said that they were expecting some funds will be allocated in the budget to strengthen examination agencies to ensure fair and scam-free exams but that too did not happen.

In a major setback to unsuccessful aspirants of NEET-UG 2024, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that it was “vitiated” on account of “systemic breach” of its sanctity.

Doubts about the sanctity of the exam arose when a total of 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six from a Haryana centre figuring in the list. The number of candidates sharing the top rank came down to 61 from 67 after the NTA announced the revised results on July 1.

Sushil Kumar, a private company employee and parent of a coaching student here, termed the budget “not very fulfilling”.

“We expected a lot from the third budget presented by the Narendra Modi-led government but there is nothing that we can say is very fulfilling. Even the exemption in tax slab is not going to bring any big change. There is no relief for the middle-class people in the budget,” Kumar told PTI. Dr Laxman Lal Gurjar, a surgeon in Bundi, appreciated the reduction in prices for medical drugs for cancer patients and X-ray machines, and the increase in Mudra loan limit to Rs 20 lakh to promote entrepreneurship.

He, however, called for a tax-free slab up to Rs 10 lakh and relief for purchasing advanced medical equipment in hospitals.

“It would have been good if the government gave relief for purchase of advanced machines and equipment in hospitals to encourage participation in advanced research in medium and small hospitals that currently provide healthcare facility to around 70 per cent of the country’s population,” Dr Laxman said.

Dr Brijbala Gupta, a member of the state BJP working committee, praised the budget for its ‘Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas’ approach and the mandatory reduction of stamp duty for women in all states.

Suman Sharma, a senior government teacher, also welcomed the budget. She appreciated the relief in the tax slab and said the budget offers significant relief for all government employees.

Sayam Dadich, a 20-year-old Chartered Accountant (CA) Intermediate aspirant and stock market investor, was partially happy with the budget.

“The relaxation in interest on education loan is going to help many in upskilling themselves but I am disappointed as an investor,” he said.

“As an investor, I find the budget very disappointing because the tax slab for short-term investments has been raised significantly, from 15 per cent to 20 per cent. Young investors like me typically make long-term investments but even there, the tax rate has been increased by 3 per cent, which is further disappointing,” Sayam said.