The Hindu Business Line : To do CA is to take <i>sanyas</i> to study

ONE after the other, classes for different subjects are getting over for CA students, allowing students to prepare on their own for a couple of months before appearing for May 2004 exams. And I spot a student who is surprisingly too poised to be pursuing the CA course.

He is George Cheruvathoor, born about 40 years ago, in Orumanayoor village, 4 km from Guruvayur. He is the eldest of eight children, from a middle class family. But academically quite poor, because his SSLC (10th standard) marks were only 231 out of 600.

George's life took a turn in 1979. He decided to travel the religious route and become a priest, and so joined the minor seminary in Thrissur. A voluntary choice, he says, because there was no background of priesthood in the family or near relatives. The routine would start around 5 a.m. and included classes and prayers, apart from social work in the form of visits to hospitals and such. By 1983, George finished his pre-degree (plus 2) with commerce, economics, world history, and scoring 60 per cent. He moved to the major seminary, Aluva.

Seminary life encourages studying and by 1986, George completed B.Ph., a philosophy course affiliated to Pontifical Institute, Vatican. One thing significant during the degree-days was that the idea of CA entered his mind through a casual conversation with friends. As it happened, one friend was expressing his desire to do CA while another wondered if it was possible, and George thought, "Why can't I do CA?"

The CA Foundation course was launched in the mid-1980s, George cut out a news clipping and preserved it. But the idea lay dormant, and was to take shape only many years later.

On the chosen path of religion, he made steady progress. There was a year of `pastoral experience' in the Bishop's house in Thrissur. And in 1987, `Vestition' took place, and he became known as `Brother'. At a dropout rate of 21 out of 36, this was a stage that only less than half of those who had begun the arduous journey could manage to finish. Something akin to CA, one may say. On December 26, 1990, he was ordained a priest. Called `Father', he worked as Assistant Parish Priest on the usual stipend of Rs 900, helping in church work, teaching children and taking classes for youth, apart from conducting ministerial work. By 1994, he was Parish Priest in Thrissur, with more responsibilities such as conducting prayers, take care of assets, and looking after people's spiritual needs.

He joined B.Com and finished it in 1997, finding accounting and other practical papers too tough. To gain knowledge in these, he attended a CA office; he could grasp how charities maintained accounts. 1997 was important also because he registered for CA foundation. He laid a `strong' foundation, one may say, because he failed four times. Year 2000 saw him taking an important decision: To take leave from the parish for a few years to finish CA. The pace of his professional studies quickened and he cleared hurdle after hurdle, did his articleship in Kurien & Co, and is now studying 10-12 hours for the May 2004 Final exams.

"If you have an aim, pursue; never miss the classes," he says. "Marks are not the criteria of intelligence." He adds: "I never felt stress from exams. I have no distractions. My routine is disciplined, aided by meditation and timetable. My aim now is acquiring knowledge and passing." On people who fail continually, he says, "CA person is to be updated in knowledge. Many don't track the amendments, that is why passing percentage tends to fall when somebody writes after four attempts, say."

If you think George should be more relaxed because he has taken leave from the parish, listen to what he feels: "CA needs more discipline than as a priest. It's a sanyas to study." After CA, he would be returning to his priestly duties, drawing a monthly stipend of Rs 3,500 for living expenses.

"That's all?" I ask, because normal CA students wish for phenomenal salaries after qualification. "I will be able to contribute to the Diocese," says George. "With CA qualification, I'm sure I'd be able to look after its financial affairs, manage its wealth and be a watchdog."

JumpTheOdds@hotmail.com

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