31st December, 2026
The third technical Plenary session on “Strengthening Tobacco Taxation: Evidence, Policy, and Global Perspectives” was organized by the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (RCTC), Department of Community Medicine & SPH, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) during the 7th National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raebareli on 31st December 2026. The session was attended by more than 100 participants.
The session was chaired by Dr. Rana J. Singh, Director – Tobacco Control, Vital Strategies, and Dr. P. C. Gupta, Director, Healis–Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health.
Prof. Sonu Goel presented economic evidence highlighting the health and revenue benefits of higher tobacco taxation. Dr. Upendra Bhojani traced four centuries of tobacco taxation, drawing lessons for modern tobacco control. Dr. Rijo M. John discussed gaps in India’s GST framework on tobacco products, while Dr. Puneet Chahar shared global best practices in effective tobacco tax policy.
The session concluded with an engaging discussion, emphasizing the importance of strengthening tobacco taxation as a key strategy for advancing India’s tobacco control agenda
