ICAI announces a provision of ₹500 crore scholarships for CA students

Efforts underway to include commerce as a subject in school curriculum – information by CA Ketan Saiyya

Pune: There are excellent career opportunities in the field of commerce. We are making efforts to include commerce as a subject from Class 5 to 10. In this regard, we met School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Education Secretary, and the Director of the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training, Rahul Rekhawar. They have responded positively to the proposal of including commerce in the school curriculum, informed CA Ketan Saiyya, Chairman of the Western India Regional Council (WIRC) of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), on Wednesday. He also stated that ICAI has made a provision of ₹500 crore in scholarships for CA students.

A delegation of senior officials from WIRC visited various institutions in Pune on Wednesday and held discussions with officials. Later, they interacted with the media at ICAI Pune Branch in Bibwewadi regarding several initiatives undertaken for CA members and students. Present on this occasion were Council Vice Chairman CA Piyush Chandak, Secretary CA Jeenal Savla, Treasurer CA Fenil Shah, Pune Branch Chairman CA Sachin Miniyar, Regional Committee Members CA Abhishek Dhamane, CA Rekha Dhamankar, CA Rajesh Agarwal, along with ICAI Pune Vice Chairman CA Pranav Apte, CA Nilesh Yewlekar, Treasurer CA Neha Phadke, Executive Committee Members CA Sarika Dindokar, CA Nandkumar Kadam, CA Pritesh Munot, and others.

CA Ketan Saiyya said, “ICAI has requested the state education department to include a dedicated chapter on commerce in school textbooks. The Education Minister and other senior officials have responded positively to this request. Instructions have been given to form a committee of expert chartered accountants to design the curriculum. This brings clarity regarding the inclusion of a commerce curriculum in the new syllabus.”

Highlighting the ₹500 crore scholarship provision for economically weaker students aspiring to pursue CA, he added, “Students whose parents’ annual income is below ₹5 lakh are eligible for scholarships without any conditions. Special online courses are conducted to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical professional requirements. Rapidly changing technology and increasing competition are the two major challenges for CA professionals. However, since demand is high and supply is low, more students should consider choosing the CA course for higher education.”

CA Sachin Miniyar said, “To offer students hands-on professional experience, internships are provided. Campus selections are conducted through educational institutions. The CA curriculum undergoes periodic updates to stay relevant with the times. Although the CA course is challenging, students can appear for exams three times a year. While revising the curriculum, emphasis is placed on making it business-oriented and student-centric.” On this occasion, WIRC officials were welcomed with the traditional Pune pagdi and a Ganesh idol.