ITAT tone down Its Remarks against CAs & Targeted CA Articles

Ekta Arora

Brief – Chartered Accountancy Students are Nation famous for their utmost sincerity, guilelessness and dedication, untroubled of the fact only 30-40% of students pass CPT, 10-15% pass IPC and 3-12% pass final. These statistics indeed scare student but still they work hard with sincerity and honesty during 3 Years articleship and with this manage their studies as well. The remark of ITAT that in students pursuing coaching would not make a full fledged CA which may affect the Country as a whole is unjustified since prima facie the Bench is unaware of the Life of CA Students.

Read-ITAT tone down its Remarks Against Chartered Accountants and ICAI

Introduction

In this highly competitive era, students are leaving no stones unturned to grab opportunities and excel in their respective field. The MBBS, Engineering, LLB etc. are old time favourite options for students but however, of late the courses like Chartered Accountancy and Company Secretary are the new favourites but however despite of giving 200% efforts no one ever appreciates CA article clerk.

People must know that being an article assistant is not an easy job. There is immense pressure transferred by the seniors during peak days. A normal student wake up at 5 am, attends coaching at 6:30 am and subsequently, obediently reaches office at 10:30 or so which is a normal office time. Where is the sacrifice of practical training when a student reaches home after 8 or so? Normally 10:30 am to 7pm is a normal working hours and an Article Clerks unleashes all his/her potential by making most of his time by attending coaching and at the same time efficiently managing the work at their respective offices.

Not only this, the coaching service providers (i.e. the teacher of CA Finals) are wonderful guide for these Interns and they all put their efforts to connect various concept with practical life. Moreover, where any difference exists, they themselves tell the students that this is happening at your office & you have to do like this. Practically, which the Learned bench did not know, a student is restricted to a particular field which is generally audit (may be internal, statutory etc.) but some lucky students get projects of different field like Direct Taxation, Indirect Taxation, Litigations and the likes. But fortunately or unfortunately, in the CA Final Exams a student is expected to know everything i.e. Direct Taxation, Indirect Taxation, Financial Reporting, Stock Markets, Financial Decision, Ind AS, Accounting Standards, ICDS, Company Law, Allied Laws, Auditing and much more even if the student has not been given the task in office. Then how will he get to know about the remaining subjects without coaching? How can he clear all his concepts and apply later in his career? The only way out is coaching which make students learn practical aspects, that too in non office hours by effectively utilising his early morning time. It should be noted that relevant time period is given for preparation and only during that period of 5 months (approx.) a student is on leave which the Institute allows and prepares for one of the toughest examination of the world i.e. CA Finals.

Despite of such efforts and a long duty from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm if there is any shortcoming then it is on the society’s part which expects a student to work for more than 24 hours which is obviously unrealistic and impractical. Thus, Practical training accompanied with Coaching is required by every article to become a “full fledged CA” and there after self study is required for 5 Months i.e. during preparation period.

Conclusion

It is humble request to all the professionals & departments, not to defame the Article Assistant who honestly & with dedication works sincerely that too for negligible pay for 3 years which is substantial part of a student’s life. All in all, it is unjustifiable to blame students and making them feel disappointed for no reason and therefore, it is expected from you all that they should motivate their article assistants and provide them quality work instead of quantity monotonous work.

(Author is a CA Final student and can be reached at ektaaroraca@gmail.com)