The three-day protest of the thousands of students and Charted Accountants (CA) against the process and evaluation system appears to be justified as in a reply to an RTI query by the Institute of Charted Accounts of India (ICAI) shows that the institute has received nearly 8 crores in 2017-18 through re-verification and inspection of the evaluated answer sheets of CA examinations.
The data shared by the ICAI to an RTI query filed by advocate Mohit Kumar Gupta, also shows that the re-evaluations of answer sheets are consistently increasing for the last five years.
Thousands of students aspiring to become CAs, gathered near ICAI head quarter and held a three day protest against the institute of lapses in evaluations process such as miscalculation, wrong correction of examinations papers. The students also demanded amendment of Regulation 39 (4) of the Chartered Accountants Act to ensure that students get a chance to have their papers rechecked. Currently, the students can ask for certified copies of the answer sheets, inspect and apply for re-totaling, but there is no facility for re-checking of answers.
According to the RTI data, total amount of Rs 8,32,63,219 last year was received by the ICAI. While the amount received in 2016-17 was Rs 6, 58,03,700, Rs 5,86,54,825 in 2015-16, Rs 4,55,27,852 in 2015-14 and Rs 3,52,15,500 on 2013-14 respectively.
Following the agitation by the students, the ICAI has said that a high level independent committee is being formed. The committee will look into the demand of students. It further announced a series of reforms such as digital evaluation, central evaluation, and machine based evaluation, step-wise marking and mandatory online test for empanelment of examiners.
The ICAI further asked the students to concentrate on studies and focus on the upcoming examinations. "All the students are advised not to be carried away by such issues. The Institute is seized of their problems and will be considered and taken up at the appropriate forum by following due process," it said.
However, the agitating students said they will protest till the time, the issue was resolved.
ICAI conducts examination twice a year in the month of May and November. In the CA examination, there are three groups-one group has four papers and same is the case with Group II. One can appear for the group I and II or Both papers at a time depending upon his capability. The cost for the re-verification of answer sheet is Rs 100 per paper to a maximum of Rs 400 for all the papers and groups and the inspection fees are Rs 500 per paper.
"The faith of the students in an examination process is seen ruptured with a colossal number of re-verification requests received by the institute. But, it is sad that the institute has learnt to earn out of the prime entitlement of students to get a fair examination process," said advocate Gupta who filed the RTI.
