Today, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking a postponement of the CA exams conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) citing the Lok Sabha elections.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra considered the matter.

The Court observed that the Chartered Accountant exams for intermediate and final levels are set for May 8th and May 14th, respectively, while the elections are scheduled for May 7th and May 13th, 2024. It stated that delaying the exams by just one day after the phase-wise polling, as proposed by the petitioners, would impose significant challenges on numerous students.

Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, representing the petitioners, argued that it would pose a challenge for students from remote areas to reach the exam centers the day after casting their votes.

The bench also observed that over 4.36 lakh students have registered for the exams and delaying the dates would impose significant hardship. It further noted that a total of 591 exam centers have been arranged across India, and no exams are planned on the polling dates. Additionally, the Court accepted the submissions from the ICAI that providing opt-out options would unfairly disadvantage students who attempt all papers in a single sitting.