The growing phase of Indian economy with multifaceted developments is seeing accelerated increase in the number of small and medium sized enterprises. Their accounting needs are limited. They don’t require fully qualified professionals to handle their finance and accounting transactions. They actually need persons with practical accounting skills to work at operational level.
Graduates and post graduates in commerce are bookish and take more time to learn the practical aspects of accounting. Accountants with practical knowledge capable of recording and reporting of financial transactions are very much need. The demand for such second tier accounting personnel is estimated at more than 50000 per annum. In the IT enabled environment, the demand for such personnel is ever growing.
Responding to this increase in demand, a press release confirms that, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the premier accounting institute of the country, is launching a new Accounting Technician course. The eligibility to register to the course is merely a pass in the 10th standard examination. But after passing plus 2 an entrance test has to be cleared before actually joining the course. Students joining the course apart from the eligibility test will have to take up examinations, one in each of Accountancy, Law, Cost and Financial management, taxation, General commercial knowledge, and Business communication. The course duration, it is said, will be about 15 months.
It is also learnt that there is a proposal to integrate this Accounting Technician course with CA. Thereby a student qualifying in Accounting Technician course, if he so desires, can continue studies further to become a Chartered Accountant. An important thing to note is, a student enrolled for CA course, if for one reason or other, has to discontinue, or not able to complete the course fully, assuming that he satisfies all the requirements of the Accounting Technician course, may opt to become an Accounting Technician. Also those who have completed the period of articleship and have passed either Intermediate or PE2 examination of the earlier Regulations will be eligible and on application can get the Accounting Technician certificate.