CA Students Demand Change Of Evaluation Rules As ICAI Says Due Process Will Be Followed

In a statement released by the CA examination regulator, ICAI, said due process will be followed for consideration of demand of the protesting students for re-evaluation of the answer books. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) also requested the protesting Chartered Accountant (CA) aspirants to call off the agitation and advised them "to concentrate on their studies and preparation for forthcoming examination". 

The protesters have also pushed their demand to social media platforms with hashtags like #dearicaiammend39_4 asking to amend the rules regarding the evaluation, especially, Regulation 39(4).

Claiming that their answer sheets were not evaluated properly, the students have been protesting outside its central Delhi office here and have demanded a recheck.

"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," the ICAI said in a statement after meeting the protesting students yesterday.

"A section of the students led by agencies external to the Institute have been demonstrating outside the ICAI premises from 23rd September, 2019. In order to empathize the genuine concern, if any, of the students, they were given an opportunity to meet the officers and council members on 24th September, 2019 wherein more than ten representatives including ICAI members, non-members and students participated in the discussions," the Institute said in the statement.

"... It is also seen that a few answer books have been circulated in social media alleging errors in evaluation on the part of Institute. These answer books have been checked and from the records of the Institute, it is noticed that none of these relate to May 2019 examination as has been claimed on the social media," the ICAI said in another statement released today.

"In order to address the afore-stated issues, the Director Board of Studies and HOD, Examination have once again today appraised the students about examination system and process followed in evaluation of the answer books of CA. Examinations through video hosted on ICAI social media," the statement added.

"The students were apprised once again about the step-wise marking which is an integral and essential feature of the evaluation system of ICAI w.e.f. November, 2018 examination. The ICAI also ensures that step-wise marking is carried out without fail and in case step-wise marks are not awarded, the Head-examiners are required to rectify the error during the process of review before results. Further, when such error is brought to the domain of the Institute during the process of verification or upon providing copies of answer books to the candidates, the same is also addressed and justice done to the candidates," the Institute said in the statement.

After quoting the Institute's rules of CA answer sheets evaluation (Regulation 39(4)), the ICAI said "the Regulation does not permit any subjectivity in checking of answer books".

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday came out in support of agitating students and said their demand for re-evaluation of answer sheets is justified and should be supported by all political parties.

In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, "Across India 12 Lakh CA students are fighting for their right to have their exam papers re-evaluated by ICAI".

"Given the widespread reports of errors in the evaluation of answer sheets, this demand is justified and should be supported by all political parties," he said using the hashtag "dearicaiplschange".