CA Exams: ICAI to File Affidavit with Supreme Court on Plea That Challenges Opt-Out Option

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has said to the Supreme Court that it will file an affidavit on the plea that challenges the ‘Opt-out’ option for the CA examinations that are scheduled to be held from 29 July to 16 August.

The India Wide Parents Association had filed a plea with the Supreme Court regarding the ‘Opt-out’ option that the ICAI had announced on 15 June. According to the ‘Opt-out’ option, a candidate could choose to opt-out of the July examinations and carry forward their candidature to the November 2020 examinations.

The plea stated that for students who choose the opt-out option in the May examination, their attempt would be considered ‘Cancelled’ or ‘Not counted’. It argued that the opt-out option discriminated between the underprivileged group of CA students from remote areas or from containment zones and the privileged students from the cities or green zones.

In response, ICAI told the hearing bench that the notification is not prejudicial in nature. The Institute will place certain facts on record by filing an affidavit by 29 June. The deadline for availing the ‘Opt-out’ option is 27 June.

The plea also asked for a directive to increase the number of examination centres for the nearly 476,000 students who have registered for the examination, so that there is at least one examination centre in every district in the country. Currently, the examinations will be held in 259 examination centres across India and five abroad.

The petitioner also added that free transportation and accommodation should be provided to the students near the examination centres. In addition, they asked that everyone in the examination centres is tested for coronavirus.