CA May 2024 Exam: CA Students Files Petition with Supreme Court to Postpone Exams Amid Lok Sabha Election

According to reports, a select group of Chartered Accountant (CA) candidates have petitioned the Supreme Court, India’s top court, to postpone their exam. These students filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in order to obtain comfort, citing concerns over scheduling conflicts between the upcoming ICAI exams and the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The petition, reportedly filed on April 16, highlights how the tests conflict with the democratic process of the approaching General Elections and asks for their postponement. According to a few of the circulated tweets on X, Advocate Nirnimesh Dubey will present the plea on behalf of the affected students at the PIL hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

This action comes after an earlier attempt earlier this month at the Delhi High Court, when a petition for a similar case filed by 16 CA students was rejected, preventing a postponement. Students are not giving up and are continuing to pursue legal action through expert and student committees, with a Delhi High Court hearing scheduled for April 8, 2024. At the same time, an open letter has been written to Prime Minister Modi pleading for action to reschedule exams. Additionally, a correspondence has been started with the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI) and the Election Commission of India (ECAI) describing the democratic and logistical difficulties that result from conducting examinations during election season.

The dates for the CA Inter and CA Final exams remain scheduled for 2 May to 17 May 2024, according to the official schedule. It has been scheduled to administer the International Taxation – Assessment Test on May 14 and 16, 2024. The June exam for the CA Foundation course, on the other hand, remains unchanged. The ICAI has refused to reschedule the tests in spite of huge social media campaigns and organized advocacy efforts. The students’ petition was a result of their concerns about the clash between exam dates and the critical window of opportunity for civic participation that corresponds with the May 19–June 4 election period. They believe that this conflict affects their fundamental right to vote in addition to posing logistical challenges.

Students are upset with the ICAI’s decision, which was made public on March 19, believing that their concerns regarding mental health and participation in democracy were ignored.  CA students highlight in their request to the Prime Minister’s Office how important it is to postpone exams in order to maintain academic integrity and democratic engagement. They emphasize how important it is to put educational duties and democratic rights first in this difficult situation.