03-05-2025
Aspirants gain insights into CA and IAS from qualified professionals
Dispelling myths about clearing the CA and Indian Civil Services Examinations conducted by the ICAI and UPSC respectively, professionals who have successfully cleared these exams offered a bird's-eye view of their structure, challenges, and the value of pursuing these prestigious careers.
While S. Bhargava, a chartered accountant from the ICAI Mysuru centre, spoke on CA, G.R. Vinutha, who has cleared the UPSC examinations, gave an overview of the examination pattern, the kind of career civil services offered in nation building, and why students should aspire for it.
Mr. Bhargava said that chartered accountants from India were in great demand the world over, and there was a tremendous scope for CAs whose services were required for auditing, accounting, filing of income tax, etc. With the growth and development of trade and commerce and rapid industrialisation of the country, there was bound to be more monetary transactions and the need for CAs, he added.
Calling upon the student community to give CA a serious thought, Mr. Bhargava spoke of the nature of the qualifying examinations and the eligibility criteria. He said there was a lot of misconception about CA examinations being difficult to crack, and attributed it to non-serious candidates appearing for it.
Vinutha, who did her BE in electrical engineering from SJCE Mysuru and from IIT Delhi, was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an aeronautical engineering officer.
She served for 10 years in the short service commission before attempting the civil services examination, which she cleared in 2024. She got an age relaxation for having served in the armed forces.
Ms. Vinutha underscored the importance of current affairs and brushing up on general knowledge. She said reading newspapers should be a habit, and The Hindu, she said, was among the best for preparing for general studies paper.
Given the long-drawn process of examination, Ms. Vinutha linked the preparations for civil services to a marathon and not a sprint, and urged the aspiring students to begin their preparations from the second or the third year of their degree course.
