The Corporate Affairs Minister, Mr Salman Khurshid, has called for higher representation of women in the chartered accountancy profession, similar to the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament. “If there can be 33 per cent representation for women in Parliament, then why not something like that in the chartered accountancy profession too?,” Mr Khurshid said at the Chartered Accountants’ Day celebrations organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) held here.
Noting that there were not many women in the audience at Vigyan Bhavan, the Minister told a packed house that, “when in comes to the household budget, there is no one better than the lady of the house who holds the key to all finances. They are very good at budgeting. So, why not more women in the CA profession too? I would like the ICAI to ensure more representation of women in the CA profession.”
Of the 1.61 lakh CAs in the country, women account for only 15-20 per cent, ICAI sources said.
Mr Khurshid went to the extent of saying that he would like to see a woman at the helm of the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
Meanwhile, Mr K Rehman Khan, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who himself is a CA, said on the occasion that CAs should help in bringing greater transparency to the Government’s accounts.
He said the Government must soon switch from single-entry accounting system to double-entry accounting, adding that even the Comptroller and Auditor General of India is keen on the same.
He said this was important because the Government was spending over Rs 1.6 lakh crore in its flagship programmes, but it is not clear how much of it is reaching the intended beneficiaries. Mr Khan also expressed concern over the cost over-runs in several Railway projects, including the Konkan Railway, as well as the lack of transparency in Government programmes like the MGNREGA.
Mr R Bandyopadhyay, Secretary, Corporate Affairs Ministry, said one of the biggest challenges facing the CA profession today is to help in building an Indian multinational CA firm.
The ICAI President, Mr Amarjit Chopra, said Indian CAs will soon be able to offer their professional services in Ireland as both the countries will soon sign an agreement in this regard. Also on the cards are similar arrangements with countries such as New Zealand, Canada and UAE.
salman , first save your women from TT and halala and forced burkha.. then talk about reservation..
This profession is of VERY HARD WORK please do not politicise it.
I think Salman was trying to accumulate some vote bank for congress out there in the name of women reservation.
Mr. Salman – please remember there is a high difference between household budgets, budgets of political parties and a COUNTRY and/or client.
let the politicians write atleast ONE attempt of CA exam and know what is the amount of effort,hard work,knowledge will be put on it.
CA profession is having highly repuation and respect in India, please dont spoil it…
let the politicians attempt atleast ONE exam and see what is the amount of effort, hardwork etc.,….
CA profession is having a high quality standards and reputation, please dont spoint it…
I don’t think women need reservation anywhere least in CA course. Reservations have just ruined merit-based education in all fields. Probably, there were very few women / female CAs in the audience or there are very few women / female CAs in the Council. But that in no way indicates that there should be any kind of reservations in the CA course. The CA course is based purely on merits and should be so. As a woman, I feel women don’t need reservations, they need encouragement and support. Women can, on their own will, reach great heights not with any reservations.
The speech of the Minister has been totally mis-interpreted by the critics. Our minister is an erudite personality with lot of vision. He has been a Senior advocate in the Supreme Court dealing in Constitutional, commercial and other affairs. He is a man who maintains high standards in expressing his views before public. In his speech he has merely recommended reservation for lady chartered accountants in councils, postings , employments and in empanelments. He is right and I quite endorse his view of reservation for Women Chartered Accountants, in all professional representations.
All what the minister has done is to point out the males outnumber females in CA profession and this disparity is undeniably true and needs to be abated – reservation – being a politician – naturally can be one such mode in his opinion.One may or may not agree with his viewpoint but should we gag a healthy debate into a n electronic bout or ring free for all . I am sorry at the state of our tolerance level mine included.
WHAT IS THE NEED TO GIVE RESERVATION TO THEM. I MEAN WHY THEY SHOULD PREPARE & APPLY FOR THE REPUTED COURSE.
THEY SHOULD GIVE THE MEMBERSHIP WITHOUT ANY HARD WORK, IF THEY ARE SO KNOWLEDGEABLE AND THEY KNOW ALL THE THINGS FOR WHICH WE ARE PREPARING & PURSUING OVER THE LIFE.
IT SHOWS THE POVERTY OF THINKING & IMAGINATION OF OUR POLITICIAN.THIS REPUTED COURSE IS OPEN FOR ALL. TO COMPETE & GET THE RESPECT DESERVED BY THE MEMBER.
In my opinion the Institute should not invite the Politicians who don’t have CA or Other Professional background because they are used to speak political language only.
These politicians will convert India into Reserved Republic of India..Now even CA/CS/CWA courses will churn out low-grade professionals if quotas have their way..Khurshid talks about reservation for women, other politicians will talk about quotas for OBC/SC/ST..god save India
Reservation is required where the participants are not equal and competent, but in my opinion women are competent and intelligent. Reservation shows traditional and narrow thinking.
On the one hand we talks that, today men and women are equal and on the second hand we recommend reservation for women, Why?
In my opinion icai should not follow this bullshit politics methods.
Women dnt need any reservation to prove their Presence, if they r worth it they will get it by the hard work. They dnt need “PEOPLE” to prove their existence.
Its High Time that Respected Institute shall stop indulging Politicians in the Respected Noble Profession.
PLEASE LEAVE THIS NOBLE PROFESSION UNTOUCHED…..
It is not surprising that the Hon’ble Minister’s remark has triggered a series of resentful,if not derisive dissent.When women do not have any identified handicap in pursuing this professional course,where is the question of reservation?It may sound a retrograde statement, but let me say that I am against all kinds of reservation including reservation for women in the Parliament as it doesn’t eventually level down differences and remove handicaps:on the contrary,it perpetuates the socially corrosive and discriminative “caste system” and promotes all the corruption that goes with it.Only thing is,you have to redefine caste & community: New privileged castes and communities emerge.
The Minister has let out a political ‘burp’: plug your ears & nose!!!
could some one from the audience not asked the minister as to how to implement the idea in the CA admission. did the minister mean that the women candidate should be declared passed without passing the examination or the passing criteria be reduced in the case of women. god help what would happen to this country and thereafter to the profession of CA,
I note with interest that all the commentators are MALES.
For once , why we don’t have a sense of amusement and humour. Why a statement made with good stance is literally interpreted and hordes of abuses are hurled at one of the noblest and ablest Minister.
Finally , what is wrong in promoting ladies in CA without compromising the quality?
Reservation may be for say vacancy of articles . It need not be for results.Earlier additional vacancy was allowed to gtradutara with first class ; That can be offered to girls as well.
Dear All,
With due respect to the Hon’ble Minister, let us ask him why not we have reservation for CA in parliament. The key portfolio of the finance of the country and all the states must be with CA.
Let me ask how many CA have ever become finance minister of the country or even a state????
How many CA’s are part of budget preparation & monitoring of same???
It’s high time our CA faternity must come together and take active participation in building up a better & prosperous India and show all the current politicians their true place.
Regards
CA. Kanti Jain
What an incredibly childlike, outrageous and blissful ignorance !!
here is another minister talking about something he obviously doesn’t about at all… the August profession is open to all irrespective of his caste/ creed/ gender… anyone who wants to put in the hard work can take up this profession … WONDER WHEN WILL A COUNTRY LIKE INDIA BE OUT OF THE TABOO OF SOMETHING WE CALL “RESERVATION” …bull****
1. If there can be 33 per cent representation for women in Parliament, then why not something like that in the chartered accountancy profession too?,”
reservation is not appropriate to this type of course as here entry is free. If its other courses, we can say that seats are limited. But here, if you have the fire in the belly, then you can make wonders….
2. Noting that there were not many women in the audience
Why he want to take this as a sample ???
3.he would like to see a woman at the helm of the Corporate Affairs Ministry.
Let him resign first. And note that point that its not CAs who become ministers, its only politicians who make that.
With reference to the above statement of Hon’ble Minister shows that he does not know that how much efforts, does a person needs to put in to become a “CA”. It is not a seat of Parliament where an incompetent person can become a member just by having power and money. It’s a generous request not to mix dirty politics with such a noble profession.
I hope everybody should raise their voice, including women CAs.
It is high time we should stop polticians to interfere in our affiars. Our Office Bearers should have courage to courteously say to these minister not to utter non sense on higly sensible and ethical profession.
If politics entres the profession it will be a dooms day for CA institute itself.
May good sense prevail on Politician as well as our Institute’s Heads.
I think minister does not know the value of the profession ca is the only course where ther is no reservation.
I blindly refuse the minister’s proposal.
When things are not in order and public is angry with government policies, it is a general practice for the politician to throw an idea which can give them cheap publicity, what ever may be the outcome to the society. Currently the govt is in trouble due to hectic price rise etc, hence the minister has raised the bogey of reservation in our institute. today it is for ladies tomorrow others. I wont be surprised if the govt direct the institute that relaxation in passing marks be given to this category or that category.
Being the MCA Minister for years……..I think Mr.Salman Khurshid does not even know the Basic regulations of the Institute….but their Ministry claims to be the Supervising body for ICAI, ICSI & ICWAI…..It should be brought to the kind notice of Hon. Minister that there is no election process for becoming member of ICAI…..sorry to state that Hon. Minister took ICAI as Parliament like body…., let me state that ICAI is more professionally managed body with zeal to excellence & commitment to professionalism……ICAI has gained popularity and respect around the world on its own…..Pls let ICAI be away from such political thought…….,
at last I would ….. Reservation does not a medicine but a paralysis. …..which all political party likes to en-cash….It is discrimination being made by Political party….I feel sorry for the hurt caused to the esteemed members because of such tactless statement.
I fully support the views of Mr P V Sriram. CA course is open to all & it works on merits.
It is not clear as to what the Hon’ble Minister wants to say and what is his perception of the procedure through which a person “becomes” a CA. It is incredible that a Union Minister and, that too, in charge inter alia of the related subject, should be unaware that it is a profession unlike that of a medical doctor or architect, etc., and does not require the rigours of obtaining admission to a college and, hence, there is no limit to the number of students entitled to “admission” and consequently no “quota” system either.
It is sad that such people are in charge of decision making in India.
I do agree with the reply of Mr. P.V.SRIRAM. These leaders dont know even A,B,C about our profession or about our institute. The ICAI is only the institute where there is no reservation or any type of qouta and that is very good thing. Because you passed with your hardwork not by your cast or any qouta so what is the need of these kind of stupid reservations.
The other thing these(leaders) are saying men and women are equally capable but they are giving reservations to women, what they want to convey women are not capable?????
The Hon’ble has erred and erred badly. Ignorance is bliss they say, and surely so in this case. Our fraternity is most respected because of the stringent course grinding that a CA goes thru. And even though we today outnumber the women as professionals today, i am sure that stastics will today prove otherwise that the girl students today outnumber the boy students. For god’s sake lets not start this debate, but it very unfortunate that the Hon’ble Min did not know what to say and just took a pot shot. Lets give him the benefit of doubt, fellow members.
The Honorable Corporate Affairs Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid is unknown about our Profession. This profession is very much independent for its Ethics, Code of Conduct, and the basis for which it was formed. According to the speech delivered by the Hon. Corporate Affairs Minister there should be 33% reservation for Ladies/Women. I would like to bring one most important point to the notice of our Hon. Minister for Corporate Affairs that this is not the election process for being a member of the Esteemed Institute but this is one of the hardest exam in India. I fill shame on those who have attended this function and not replied to the Hon. Corporate Affairs minister about such representation that the 33% reservation is not possible as the process of becoming member of our Institute is passing of the exam and not selecting or electing the members as per our choice like Election of the leaders. If this would be a process all the members are from the families of CAs and not of others. I know by this opinion some of the members will hurt but sorry for that I am unable to listen such kind of recommendations from anybody.
I think the politicians dont know what to talk. They think they can talk anything when the mike is before them. CA is the only course in India where there is not reservation. Anybody can join this course. When it is so where is the need for reservation for women. It is high time Institute should stop inviting politicians to address.