On 4/27/12, Eyeway Helpdesk <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: SC Vashishth [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: 27 April 2012 11:01 > To: undisclosed-recipients: > Subject: ICAI imposes arbitrary Writers / Scribes Conditions for Students > with Disabilities >> > Dear Colleagues, > The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is organizing its > annual exams starting 03rd May 2012 which will be taken by hundreds of > examinees with disabilities also. ICAI has provided "INSTRUCTIONS TO > EXAMINEES - MAY, 2012" at link: http://220.227.161.86/26540exam15942.pdf. > These instructions are utterly silent on the conditions for Scribes allowed > for Persons with Disabilities as per law, though they are exhaustive on > other conditions to be met /observed for the examination. >
> This time the candidates with disabilities have been surreptitiously sent a > three page document titled "Guidelines and Procedure to be followed > regarding granting of Writer/ Extra Time to the Differently Abled > Candidates". Coincidentally, this document has not been provided on the > Institute website though is purported to have been adopted by Examination > Committee during January 2012 and effective from May 2012 examinations. > > These impugned guidelines are illogical, arbitrary and work against the > spirit of The Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 that aims to ensure equal > opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full participation of persons with > disabilities since they insist the following conditions among others: > > 1.. The writer should not be above 20 years of age as on the date of > commencement of a particular examination for which the writer's assistance > would be utilized by a candidate (for instance 02nd May 2012 for May 2012 CA > Examinations) > 2.. The writer should be the same person for all the papers of an > examination and no request for change of writer shall be permitted. > 3.. The writer should not be a relative of the candidate for whom he / she > is acting as a writer. > The students with disabilities are in shock as they can not meet such > arbitrary guidelines forced upon them. However, most students are not > willing to come openly against the institute for fear of a backlash which > may spoil their career. > > None of the earlier guideline (for 2007 or 2010 exams) which are available > on the ICAI's website at link: http://www.icai.org/new_post.html?post_id=639 > do not contain any of such arbitrary and illogical conditions. The > conditions put forth are unreasonable & discriminatory against persons with > disabilities and defy the objective and mandate of the Disabilities Act. >> > I have been approached by several students who have failed to find writers > below the age of 20 and are most likely to fall in to trap of missing their > examinations despite their good preparation for the same. > Also since this is an exam season and most teen-aged students who may be > eligible to act as writer as per the eligibility condition put forth by the > new guideline, are busy in their exams hence it is next to impossible to > meet such a unreasonable guideline. Moreover, the relatives have been barred > from acting as a writer. I am wondering as to who would then come forward to > help (even at a cost!) to write for them. They are bound to fail due to lack > of level playing field! >> > The condition that write should be same for all the papers spread over a > length of period is also a detrimental to the interest of the examinee > since the teenager, who may agree to write the exam for the disabled student > may have his own exam clashing. Then most students in graduation second or > third year are more than 20 years. > > Such attitude with the students with disabilities is an open discrimination > and a discouragement for them to enroll for the course and not only is > against the mandate of the Disabilities Act but also Article 14 of the > Constitution of India that ensures equality to all. The names of the > students have been withheld on their request since they fear revengeful > action on the part of ICAI. > > I have taken up the matter with the Chief Commissioner- Disabilities and > hope that good sense will prevail over the ICAI and they would withdraw the > unreasonable guideline. > > If you remember, recently, several organisations working for the Persons > with disabilities in India (especially Low Vision and Blind), have suggested > an exhaustive document titled "Uniform Guidelines for Conducting > Examinations (Practicals and/or Theory) for Blind and Low Vision Persons". > These have been sent to Ministry of Social Justice for their acceptance. In > all probability these would be accepted since the content is the revised > edition of the draft guidelines discussed in the Meeting of the State > Commissioners Disabilities in the year 2008, if I correctly remember hence > has a principal approval from the authorities. > > We suggest the ICAI to accept these guidelines in toto for implementation in > all their examinations (including the one in May 2012) and take a lead in > being the first progressive and disabled friendly institution of the > Government of India. > > Seeking your support and solidarity. > > regards, > Subhash Chandra Vashishth > > Advocate- Disability Rights > -- Thanks and regards, Milan Mittal Mobile - +919910043004 Email ID - [email protected] Skype - milan.mittal Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
