---
title: "101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 (GST) — Definition"
description: "The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 introduced GST in India, crucial for UPSC candidates studying economic reforms and taxation policies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/101st-constitutional-amendment-act"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 amended India's Constitution to introduce the Goods and Services Tax, a unified destination-based indirect tax on goods and services.
- Which constitutional articles did the 101st Amendment insert or alter?
- Why did the GST amendment require State ratification?
- Are the GST Council's recommendations binding on States?
- What is the voting structure within the GST Council?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 8 September 2016

   The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 received presidential assent on and constitutes the legal foundation of India's Goods and Services Tax (GST).

2. 1 July 2017

   GST itself was operationalised at midnight on through a special session of Parliament, following the enactment of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, th…

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Example

In its September 2016 inaugural meeting in New Delhi, the GST Council—constituted under Article 279A of the 101st Amendment—was chaired by then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to finalise rate structures ahead of GST's 1 July 2017 rollout.

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