CA coaching set to go online

THE Chartered Accountancy course, supposed to be one of the toughest, has a pass percentage of 5-10 per cent. In an attempt to increase it to 20 per cent, efforts are on start satellite-based education across the country, including the tier-II cities. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the apex body for CA education, is in talks with service providers to set up virtual classrooms and conduct training programmes.

The ICAI plans to set up such classrooms by next year. It also plans have its own satellite, ICATV, to provide education and training.

Once the information & broadcasting ministry approves its proposal, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the country’s premier space agency, will launch the satellite. ICAI vice-president G Ramaswamy said, “We are deliberating how to churn out more CAs. At present, there are 1,67,000 CAs across the country but this is limited considering the rate of growth of our economy.”

He said ICAI will set up more virtual classrooms, where students can access lectures by renowned faculty. “There will also be local faculty along with the telecast of the lectures,” he said. Initially, 120 centres, including those in tier-II cities, will be offering the facility. “Students needn’t come all the way to the metros. They can do their articleship there itself.”

The virtual classrooms are expected to have video conferences, studios and telecast facilities.

“We need to increase the share of CA population in semi-urban areas,” said Ramaswamy.