ICAI CA December Exam 2021: SC to hear plea seeking 'Opt Out' option for Symptomatic Candidates

ICAI CA Exam 2021 (December Session): The Supreme Court of India is slated to hear a plea filed before it seeking directions to ICAI to provide ‘opt out’ options for CA candidates who are showing are symptomatic without RT-PCR mandate. The petition has been filed before the apex court with just two weeks left for the CA December 2021 Examination. As per the timeline shared by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) the CA Final, Intermediate and CA Foundation Exams are slated to commence from 5^th December 2021.

Medical Certificates instead of RT-PCR Tests

The petition has been filed before the apex court by Mr Sanjeev K Arora – a CA candidate who is due to appear for the CA Exam 2021. The plea filed by Mr Arora seeks directions from the Court to the ICAI to consider medical certificates presented by symptomatic candidates as a valid proof to provide ‘opt out’ option. As per the current policy, candidates who want to avoid ‘opt out’ option will have to present RT-PCR report in order to be excluded from the exam session and shift to the next exam cycle.

The petition mentions that “Insistence on RTPCR report (within 72 hours) for the examination scheduled to be held from 05.12.2021 to 19.12.2021, is impracticable and unfeasible for students preparing to write the exams as the examination cycle lasts for 15 days and not a single day stint and it is impracticable to get RTPCR report after every 2nd exam.”

Rule unjust to Candidaets with Non-COVID Fever Symptoms

The petition also points out that as per the exam day guidelines and policies presented by the ICAI, any candidate exhibiting body temperature beyond the prescribed limit will be barred from entering the examination hall. In such situation, it would be very difficult for the candidates to produce a positive RT-PCR report within 72 hours. Furthermore, this rule also makes it impossible for those candidates who are suffering from non-COVID-19 related fever and other symptoms to appear for the exam despite their willingness to do so.  

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