Confused about GST? Here is an Easy Guide- Anu Acharya

July is here and so is GST. It is one of the hottest topics to be googled in India in recent times. Yet many have no clue what it is all about.

I suppose the word “tax” is taxing and this sudden change in how all of this will play out is anyone’s guess. While it seems like this is a good idea and will eventually add more to the meagre 3% tax base, we will be the historical guinea pigs that underwent this transition along with demonetization in recent times.

So let me write about the GST I am more familiar with: This is Gene Sequencing Technology and see if I can correlate it to GST: the tax one that you started searching for.

Eight things to know about GST ( Gene Sequencing Technology)

1. About GST
2. Registration
3. Exports/ International Orders
4. Counseling
5. Invoice
6. Pricing
7. Schemes
8. Refund

 About GST

Gene Sequencing or DNA sequencing is used to determine the order of the four chemical building blocks – called “bases” – that make up the DNA molecule. The bases that form this sequence is made up of  Adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) and guanine (G). In the DNA double helix, the four chemical bases always bond with the same partner to form “base pairs.”. ‘A’ always pairs with ‘T’ and ‘C’ with ‘G’. So your sequence is likely to read something like an endless string of ACTGGGAAAGGGAAA

So you may ask: Why should we know this sequence?

This sequence tells us about the kind of genetic information that is carried in a particular DNA segment. Sequence information can be used to determine which stretches of DNA contain genes and which stretches carry regulatory instructions, turning genes on or off. In addition, and importantly, sequence data can highlight changes in a gene that may cause disease or tell us something interesting about that individual.

The human genome contains about 3 billion base pairs that spell out the instructions for making and maintaining a human being.

Gene Sequencing Technology is not new but technology has made it easier to make this accessible, cheaper, and with easier interpretation of your data. There are many new technologies to read the entire genome or to read portions of it. At Mapmygenome, we use Illumina for our Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), Genomepatri, and Whole Exome Sequencing. 

Our most popular test remains the Genomepatri, which is a cost effective technique to look at SNPs across the genome. This helps in understanding some interesting traits and also predispositions to certain diseases and behavior. 

Registration

Depending on the product you want, you buy the product like you would from amazon. We would send you a kit within 24 hours and once you take the swab (it is really easy too), you ship the kit back to us. We would then register this kit. You will get weekly emails about what is going on with your DNA sample.

Within a few weeks, you will get your report, followed by Genetic Counseling.

Counseling

Genetic Counseling is the most important part of the process.

The genetic counselor will correlate your family history with your Genomepatri and your lifestyle and give you specific recommendations. This will include some screening tests and recommended changes to your lifestyle. We recommend that you take this to your favorite physician. If you do have a MedicaMap made, this would be useful information with regards to drug information that you may need in the future.

Exports/ International Orders

We do have a few international orders and we ship them out. Some countries have some additional regulations so please check with us when you place the order.

Invoice

Yes we do send you an invoice for tests that we offer you.

Pricing

Pricing depends on the product you buy. We have products starting at Rs. 300. Well… that is a DNA chain ? and go all the way to Rs 1.25 lakhs.

Schemes

We have some interesting schemes for corporates and for special days. Do let us know if you are one of those interested in bargains and we will be sure to tell you about those special offers.

Refund

While most people do not ask for a refund, we would do so based on terms and conditions that we have written on our website.