The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will conduct the CA Inter and Final examinations as per the scheduled dates. The Delhi High Court has dismissed the petition of the students who were seeking postponement of the exams. Few days back, a group of 27 students filed a petition in Delhi High Court to reschedule the ICAI CA Inter and Final examinations. Their claim was, due to the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, students will face logistical problems. But Delhi High Court has rejected their plea and exams will be conducted on the aforesaid dates.

The Argument of the Petitioners

The petitioners argued that transportation and other logistical machinery will be used in elections. This can be disadvantageous and hectic for students appearing for the exams.

Court’s Judgment

However, the court held the view that there is no ‘legal impediment’ to conducting examinations during elections. The bench emphasized that there is a huge number of aspiring Chartered Accountants (approximately 426,000) who are preparing to appear in the exam. Rescheduling exams at this 11th hour may cause problems for them. Therefore the Honorable Court expressed disapproval of the request. They also stated that the mere possibility of hardship cannot be a reason to delay the exams.

Exam Dates

The ICAI had previously acknowledged the potential impact of the elections and adjusted the examination schedule accordingly. Here’s a breakdown of the revised schedule:

 CA Inter:

Group I: May 3rd, 5th, and 9th, 2024    Group II: May 11th, 15th, and 17th

 CA Final:

Group I: May 2nd, 4th, and 8th, 2024

Group II: May 10th, 14th, and 16th

International Taxation – Assessment Test: May 14th and 16th, 2024. As per ICAI schedule, CA Foundation course examination will be conducted in June 2024. So it will not be affected by elections.

A Clearer Picture Emerges

This development is very important from the students’ perspective. Amid all the confusion, it gives clarity about the specific dates of the examination. Students who are preparing diligently are advised to continue their studies as exams will be conducted on their aforesaid dates. For those who may still have concerns regarding transport, are advised to chalk it out as soon as possible. It is very possible that due to the election anyone can face logistical problems, so making necessary arrangements is a must. For further updates students are suggested to visit ICAI website regularly and stay updated. Are you also preparing for ICAI exams? What are your thoughts and how prepared are you? Let us know in the comments.

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Earlier the university informed the court that it is all set to begin the mock tests for its final year students from July 27.

“On the next date, we would like to know how your (DU) mock tests went. Give us the entire data on the mock test, and how many students participated,” said a division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad and deferred the matter for further hearing on July 28.

The court mentioned that several petitions had been filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) decision and its examination guidelines.

The Delhi High Court has been hearing the petition filed in connection to the final year examinations of DU, including the one filed by the  National Federation of the Blinds.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court informed that in coming days it will be hearing the plea challenging the UGC circular dated on July 6 and intending the cancellation of the final year exams, keeping in view the prevailing health crises.

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Delhi University on June 26 informed the bench of justices Hima Kholi and Subramonium Prasad that the varsity is “thoroughly geared” up to conduct Open Book Examinations for its final year students.  Based on the provided information, the bench had expressed its instinct to deny a petition seeking the cancellation of exams for PWD (person with disabilities) students.

The Court expressed its annoyance on hearing about the shift in exams through news report.

DU took its stance in defense and said that it came to know on June 26 at around 2:20 pm that, mother of varsity’s deputy registrar (secrecy) has been tested COVID-19 positive and the entire family had to be quarantined.

The court, however, refused to accept the reason and said, “If the stand of Delhi university is correct that because a family member of deputy registrar (secrecy) had gone down with Covid-19 and the university came to know that the entire family had to be quarantined only after the matter was over, then there was enough time for the university to have reverted to this court on the same day or at least the next morning and inform us”

However, “this did not happen,” the court said. “…We are prima facie of the opinion that contempt proceedings ought to be initiated against DU and its officers for withholding information from the court and trying to mislead it,” the court added. It issued notice to the varsity and sought its stand as to why contempt of court proceedings not be initiated against it and listed the matter for July 6.

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The court also asserted that it was not going to interfere with DU’s decision as it has already decided to hold offline physical exams, once the present coronavirus situation improves, for those students who could not participate in the examinations commencing from July 1.

With this, it added that meanwhile all the students should prepare for the open book examinations, scheduled to commence from July 1, and not assume that it would be delayed due to ongoing proceedings.

The Delhi High Court, in its order passed on June 9, asserted that it was only looking to iron out problems being faced by persons with disabilities in participating in the exams and added that their difficulties would be addressed by the time the examinations commence.

A Bench of Justices Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Asha Menon gave the varsity, University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Centre time till June 11 to work out a solution after meeting representatives of students with various disabilities, including visual impairment, and listed the matter for hearing on June 12.

The above mentioned Bench also asked the Centre, UGC and DU to consider having another set of question papers ready to hold exams immediately after the open book examinations for those who could not sit for it, reports, The Hindu.

The following order came on a petition filed by the National Federation of the Blind challenging the DU’s decision to hold open book examinations on the ground that it violated rights of students with visual impairments and other disabilities.

The Federation desired Delhi University to assess performance of the disabled students of final year on the basis of their performance in previous semester and internal assessment. On the alternative, it recommend holding offline exams for such students after colleges reopen.

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A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad, while hearing the petition, issued notices and asked the UGC and the DU to file their reply within two weeks.

The plea moved by two law students Diksha Singh and Prateek Sharma stated that as COVID-19 pandemic forced schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions to engage in online teachings, no efforts have been made on the part of the government for the visually impaired and physically challenged students.

The petition-in-person also sought for an interim relief on mid term evaluation as per UGC guidelines, to be put on stay until such a mechanism is put in its place.

The plea stated that the burden of learning is not on the visually impaired and specially-abled individuals, rather it is the duty of the State to ensure and provide for effective teachings method. However, the same is not being done due to the lack of any such policy or effective mechanism.

The Court had issued a notice to the Ministry of Human Resources and Development and the Ministry of Social Injustice and Empowerment, earlier, asking them to file an affidavit within 5 days stating appropriate measures for the same.

“In view of the fact that the University of Delhi and the University Grants Commission have been permitted to be impeded only today, orders on this writ petition and the applications are deferred,” said the bench.

The court, while differing the matter to June 24, said that fresh affidavits shall be filed by the respondents within two weeks with copies to the counsel for the petitioners, who may file rejoinders thereto, within one week thereafter.

Since the lockdownwas announced, online e-classes took up the space and role of classroom teachings, leaving the differently abled students at all levels badly hit and left behind.

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