Lok Sabha MP from Madurai and DMK leader Su Venkatesan wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and urged her to take action against ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) officials. He alleged that there was discrimination against non-Hindi medium candidates who attempted the CA inter-examinations on January 4 and 5.
In his letter, the MP went on to state that Hindi medium aspirants were given the option to answer in sections B, C and D (longer form answers) in the physical answer sheet itself by writing while, as per point number 13 of the official examination instructions, the non-Hindi medium students had to type the answers out. This, he said, proved to be very time-consuming for the latter. He also mentioned that he had taken up the issue with ICAI but there was no result.
As per a report in IANS, Venkatesan said, "The ICAI President Raju Iyer had replied to me that both the Hindi and non-Hindi medium students have the option to write and type the answers and that there was no discrimination. But his reply was far from the truth and not in consonance with the reality, and physical answer sheets were not provided to non-Hindi medium students in the examinations held on January 4 and 5."
The MP informed that when anguished students took to social media to express their woes, they were allegedly threatened by ICAI with punitive action for bringing the matter to a public platform. This included debarring them from attempting CA exams for five years. He added, as per a report in IANS, "Even after an MP had taken up the matter, if there is no solution then what is the option for the students other than to take it up on social media platforms. Instead of taking up the issue of the students, ICAI has chosen to threaten them with punitive measures."
Venkatesan asserted that even in the non-Hindi medium examination, the option to write must be available to students and urged action against officials who were not able to carry out ICAI President's clarification. He also urged ICAI to withdraw the circular which threatened the students for giving voice to their grievances and also demanded that an inquiry be initiated into the issues that were being raised by the students.
