VISION IN MY LIFE, GIVEN BY A VISION LESS PERSON!

VEDANT – 100% Blind student clears CA Intermediate Group 1 Exam

CA is all about numbers. 1, 43 and 7 being my favourite numbers. From scoring 1st Rank in CA Foundation in my state, to 43rd Rank ALL INDIA in CA Intermediate and 7th Rank ALL INDIA in CA FINALS. I knew I had cracked the secret for scoring not just good marks but ranks in ICAI examinations. A secret using which, over the past few years of my teaching career, I have helped some students score ranks, some students who once struggled with aggregates started getting exemptions and for some who struggled with getting 40 would now score 40+. A secret that I proudly pass to all my students, fellow teachers at Konceptca.com & now with you.

1.  Read the study material very thoroughly, interpreting not just the lines but also between the lines
2.  Make your handwritten notes for each subject each chapter
3.  Spend more time on a calculator than your mobile
4.  Fill up 10's of practice notebooks with sums, sums & sums.

"That's it…. That's all you have to follow… Trust me." I would quote these 4 rules to everyone who approached me for their CA exams perp. Until one day I received a call from Vedant’s father

We live in Nasik. Vedant, my son, is 100% blind since he was one and a half years old. Till the 4th standard, he went to a Blind School but joined an ordinary school from 5th standard as the city did not have a blind school for higher standards. It wasn’t that smooth journey for him throughout his schooling but he made it Big! He scored 92% in 10th and 90.31% in 12th commerce. He has also cleared CA CPT using your online classes, he is now preparing for CA inter and would want your guidance…. Would you please help my son with his preparations?

Would you please help my son with his preparations…? I have answered this question n number of times and never found myself short of words… BUT at that very moment, I was lost for words… I just did not know what to say… As I could register the facts, questions started to run my mind

1. Could a blind person do CA?
2. Why would a blind person what to become CA?
3. Does ICAI know about his condition?
4. Does ICAI conducts exams for blind students differently?
5. How will Vedant read the vast ICAI study material, practice long accounts/ costing/ tax sums?
6. Most importantly… Vedant’s father is expecting an answer from me on the call now, it's not that I don’t have the answer, I have it - my 4 simple rules but I can't tell it to him as every one of them requires VISION, EYES…..   

I just had no idea how would we ever be able to help him in his exam preparations. If we were to stay in the same city we might even have a chance, but as that was not the case this to me felt like an impossible task. At that time Yash and I had just started to record the 450 Hours of lectures that we have for CA Intermediate today. I shared this with Yash and to our common curiosity, we started searching!

Can a blind person do CA? Does ICAI even know people like Vedant (Visually Impaired) are trying to become CA?

So, to our satisfaction, we found that ICAI does take care of such differently-abled students. Further, not just visually impaired, there are various other disabilities that are considered by ICAI. Disabilities such as Leprosy, Hearing Impairment, Locomotors Disability and Permanent and Total Loss of VOICE! Students having such disabilities can approach ICAI & obtain a Disability Certificate on submission of certain required documents. Such a certificate is valid for 5 years. Such students are granted exemption from paying various registration fees also. Benefits like extra time of 1 or 1.5 hours in the examination & the facility of a writer are also provided if needed. Somewhere, ICAI wants to help disabled students by giving such relaxations.

So, now we understand that differently-abled people are opting for CA Exams & there is no separate examination held for them. They are attempting the same question paper as a normal student would do. The only difference being -

• Getting extra time and
• A Writer (if required)

So, for Vedant to crack the exam - part of the key was - WRITER. Exams would not only test his knowledge but also his communication and coordination with the Writer. I wish I could be Vedant's Writer!!! But, ICAI has very strictly defined certain guidelines for the Writer. As per ICAI, the writer should be undergraduate and should not be registered with any Professional Institute.

Now just imagine, how CA Exam is already so tough with a passing % at times in single digits. And for people like Vedant who are already fighting hard with their disabilities - giving examination with a Writer who has no knowledge at all about what is being asked in the question paper becomes ten times tougher. He has to not just know answers to the questions himself but dictate very nicely to the writer so that he is writing it correctly & properly.

For theory, it can be still imagined. But the intensity increases manifold when it comes to the practical papers. Just imagine those lengthy questions of Amalgamation, Process Costing or confusing questions of Assessment of Total Income, Standard Costing which many of us, even with all our abilities somehow miss one figure & our balance sheet would not tally.

So, for a moment, let's just compare the answering cycles in an exam for a normal student & for Vedant -

Many of us would think of dropping CA as our Career if we were in their shoes. Honestly, I see the ICAI's intent to support these students by providing writer & time relaxations but I somehow feel that this examination pattern is inappropriate for such students. Maybe ICAI can alter its examination pattern where examinations stress on only testing their knowledge & not their communication with the writer. I am not sure but just as a suggestion - Should we conduct exams for them in an MCQ pattern or should we conduct their exam in a manner where a Panel of Chartered Accountants ask them questions which they answer orally. I would want ICAI & all of you to think about this and suggest ways.

Even though the current examination patterns for differently-abled students seem impossible to crack, there have been few heroes in the past who have done & cleared CA Examination.

* Source Google

And also in this list, we would be adding Vedant soon as he has cleared Group 1 of CA INTERMEDIATE Exam and soon will surly become CA. To us, this is Truly INSPIRING!

BTW, How did we help Vedant in his preparation?

Well honestly, we treated Vedant as we would treat our other students. We served Vedant the same video lectures we served our other students, we solved Vedants doubts at the same priority as we would for all students. Yes, occasionally we did connect over calls regarding exam prep and hows life going... It really surprises us how much he was determined to study and learn. In the following video Vedant has very generously involved us in his success, today I would like to take this opportunity to actually thank Vedant, for giving us the opportunity to work with him.

Isn't there something special about him! A person with such a disability might want motivation/ encouragement in his life to do things. But this guy motivates others, motivates me. Very unusual to come across such a sorted person who has not just accepted everything in his life but has made it his biggest strength.

Let me share some of our pieces of conversation over the past months of our interaction -

VEDANT when being asked how did you choose commerce -

As far as visually impairment is concerned, that really boosted my confidence. Generally visually impaired prefer arts as a profession. To break that vicious circle and give justice to my passion I decided to go for Commerce as a discipline. This decision was an outcome of many appreciations and criticisms, but I and my family members kept ourselves firm.

VEDANT when being asked didn't you find CA subjects hard to learn -

I always believe that "if you are just willing to learn, no one can help you but if you are determined to learn no one can stop you." 

VEDANT when being asked, tell me one thing even if somehow you become CA what would you do in career -

I aspire to enter into Consulting wherein I would be able to give proper justice to my abilities and endeavors.


Finally, Vedant has some piece of advice/ suggestions for people across - 

1. According to me, Real disabled are those who do not make any efforts inspite of having everything with them. Make the best use of time.
2. Be the best competitor of yourself.
3. Do not allow yourself to move ahead unless you understand Logics even if you are able to solve illustrations so correctly.
4. Always remember - No One can harm you except yourself. Therefore try to keep yourself positive and motivated.

All of these gives me a VISION in MY LIFE -

NEVER CRIB!

NEVER EVER!

Life will not be always a merry go round for you. There will be challenges, problems, hard times. If you just accept everything & keep a Brave Front - One Day you too can become VEDANT!

Thank you Vedant for sharing your brave story with us!

You Inspire us!