CA students protest against ICAI and demand transparency

CA (Chartered Accountancy) students have launched a nationwide protest against the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to address non-transparency in the evaluation system. On its second day, the protest is gaining momentum with leaders including Rahul Gandhi tweeting about the urgent need to address the issue. 

READ | From a CA student to finally becoming MC Sher, 'Gully Boy' star Siddhant Chaturvedi opens up about his journey

The Protest

CA students, even some qualified CAs are protesting against regulation of the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988, which prohibits their exam papers from being re-evaluated. Thus, according to the present regulations, students, although, can demand a re-totalling of marks in the answer paper, they cannot expect the ICAI to examine the merit of not awarding marks for a particular answer or even re-evaluate the paper.

READ | UP Farmers protest: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacks BJP government

Regulation 39(4)

Thus, the protest is to amend Regulation 39(4) the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988, which prohibits the re-evaluation.

The provision which is applicable to this situation states,

Regulation 39(4)(ii) The fee shall be only for verifying whether the candidate's answers in any particular paper or papers have been examined and marked, and not for the re-examination of the answers.

This has been construed as a prohibition to a re-examination of papers.

READ | "We want climate action": School students protest in Delhi

Rahul Gandhi offers support

Rahul Gandhi has offered his support to the protest. 

Calls for a Transparent System

Students and qualified CAs are calling out for a more transparent system of evaluation. The students have slammed the system, calling it vague and ambiguous. The matter flared up after they found many discrepancies in the checking. It is alleged that marks were not awarded for even the correct answers, and in some cases, the students say, the marks shown on the result card are lower than the marks given on the answer sheet. Students believe that with such casual checking, re-evaluation of the papers should be necessary. 

It doesn't help that the final pass percentage of the exam this year was a mere 17.5%, rendering a lot of disgruntled students to protest.

READ | Howdy Modi: Preeti Dawra schools Rahul Gandhi on costliest event jibe