<h1>GST Council Announces New Rates: Relief for Agriculture, Education, Hotels, E-books, and More Effective July 27, 2018.</h1> The GST Council, chaired by the Union Minister, announced several changes to GST rates and exemptions. Key sectors receiving relief include agriculture, education, social security, and hotels. Notably, the tax on accommodation services will now be based on transaction value. E-books will see a reduced GST rate of 5%. Services provided by Indian establishments to their foreign counterparts are exempted. The hotel industry benefits from a new tax rate structure, and the supply of certain services, like those by educational boards and pension funds, are exempted. These changes take effect from July 27, 2018.