UGC to consider CA, CS equivalent to post-graduate degree

New Delhi: The UGC has arrived at the decision to consider students who qualify for Chartered Accountant (CA) and Company Secretary (CS) equivalent to those who have completed their post-graduation degrees.

The decision was took upon the request of the Indian Chartered Accountants of India, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

As a result, those who have completed CA and CS can appear for the University Grants Commission's (UGC) NET examination and will also be eligible for a PhD.

In a statement, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India said on Tuesday: "Acting upon the Institute's proposal, the UGC has accorded the status of a post-graduate degree to Company Secretary. The decision will benefit the company secretary profession everywhere in the world. We are grateful to the UGC for this."

Talking about the decision in a letter, UGC Joint Secretary Surendra Singh said that the UGC constituted a special committee to check whether a status at par with those having completed post-graduation degrees can be given to those who have qualified for Chartered Accountant (CA) and Company Secretary (CS)

In their proposal to the UGC, the nodal certification bodies had argued that students who have cleared CA and CS have already attained a high level of education. Compared to M.Com and MBA, the curriculum of ICWA students is much more elaborate. Despite this, such students are not considered at par with students having completed their post-graduation and not eligible for higher research.

Taking a positive decision in the favour of those having completed CA and CS degrees, not just has the UGC accorded them a status equivalent to PGs, but also provided them equal opportunities to pursue a doctorate in the form of PhD. These students can also join the teaching profession after clearing the UGC NET exam.

(From IANS with minor edits)