India, April 18 -- The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department has served a notice to the University of Mumbai (MU) seeking payment of a staggering Rs.16.9 crore towards GST dues dating back to 2017. Other public universities in the state have also received similar notices seeking GST on affiliation fees with retrospective effect.

The development comes even as the Goa bench of the Bombay high court on Tuesday struck down the department's attempts to levy GST on Goa University, saying education was a non-commercial activity that fell outside the ambit of the CGST Act.

Some universities in the state, including MU, have filed appeals with the GST commissioner, requesting an exemption. They have also approached the state government...