The Hindu Business Line : If you have passed PE-II, you can surely finish Final

OVER the past few weeks, I have been inundated with stories from enthusiastic readers and friends, each of whom had some interesting person to talk about.

Somebody who could surmount problems, keep the fire burning, and achieve their goal in the end. Such as a college student whose father who de-clogs, not arteries, but toilet drains; an auto-rickshaw driver who ferries his daughter to a CA class; a devastatingly disabled student who still manages to attend coaching for exams; son of a porter who asks for concession in tuition fee; a fruit-hawker who goes about pushing his cart in Bangalore to save at least ten rupees a day to send to his brother studying the professional accountancy course in Chennai; people who have survived major accidents, disasters and so forth. The list is endless.

In the face of all that stark reality, it beats logic to see students who are well-endowed but who find it so tough to pursue studies. How can one explain the recklessness of youths who do not realise the value of what they have, be it in the form of food, shelter, clothing, vehicle, people, books, and other facilities? While on the one side you have students who would think a dozen times before spending a couple of rupees on chai, there are many for whom a hefty price-tag on fashion-wear is no deterrent. Perhaps, we need everybody, at least for the contrast sake.

Well, let me move from all that sermonising to my guest-of-the-week, B. Kalyanasundaram, FCA. He was born years before Independence, did his school final much before I was born, but had to look for a job soon after his SSLC, for economic reasons. "I had to contribute something to the family," he recounts. "There was no way they could keep meeting my expenses." He thought of joining an automobile engineering course, but chose instead to go for learning vocational skills such as typewriting, shorthand, and accountancy (conducted by the technical education body).

He had all the right skills for the meekest of white-collar jobs, typist-cum-clerk, and I see his well-preserved appointment letter from Gemini Pictures, that offered him Rs 75 per month, broken up into Rs 50 salary, and Rs 25 DA. Subsequently, he joined Standard Motors, where his duties were no different. The boss would ring the bell, and our man would go in to take the dictation and return to the seat to transcribe and type and submit.

He wanted to continue from where he left, and so did the intermediate (akin to pre-University) course as a private candidate: The nearest available option was Bhopal. Subsequently, he joined BA correspondence course: offered by Delhi University. Varsities around here followed that model much later.

"I wanted to be on my own," says Kalyanasundaram. "Not at somebody's beck and call. I wanted to do my own thing, even if money were less. The only way, I came to know, is to become a CA." He remembers fondly D. Rangaswamy who sowed the CA thought in his mind, and G. Narayanaswamy, who gave him a regular income by absorbing him in as audit clerk in the firm.

"I was older than other CA students," he recollects, "and there were people who told me only horror stories — about how the course was so tough and such. It was then that I decided I would take a calculated risk." What was that? "I will give myself one year. If I pass, I continue. Else, I revert to my old job."

He secured the 22nd rank in Final, in 1970, and the rank list in his file shows N. K. Poddar in the first place. There are also other familiar names, such as H. P. Ranina and N. D. Gupta in the list.

Compared to the previous system, Kalyanasundaram feels that the present system of PE-II is good. "Entry is tough, but whoever finishes PE-II will get through Final." Here are a few tips from the veteran: About studying — "Any one who regularly studies, that is, 1-2 hours every day, and makes a determined attempt can pass."

About practising — "CA practice is an attractive option. Compared to advocates, a practising CA can at least meet his minimum requirements." On the `come again syndrome' — "Give yourself two attempts. If you get through, okay. Otherwise, rethink your choice. May be, CA is not for you. Don't waste your life."

JumpTheOdds@hotmail.com

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