[CA Exam 2021] Plea in Supreme Court seeks additional attempt for candidates who fail to sit for July 2021 exam due to COVID-19 restrictions

A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for allowing an additional attempt to any candidate who fails to appear in the July 2021 Chartered Accountant (CA) examinations in view of Covid-19 restrictions (Sathya Nayaran Perumal & Ors. v. Union of India & Anr.)..The plea, which is a public interest litigation filed by advocates Divyansh Tiwari and Hardik Gautam, made it clear that they are not seeking any postponement, cancellation or deferment of exams slotted for July, 2021. .The petitioners, instead, sought the following prayers: ICAI to provide an option of alternate attempt to any candidate who fails to appear in the July, 2021 examinations on account of any impediment, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; ICAI to extend the attempt for CA candidates appearing in CA Integrated Course (IPC) & Final Course with old syllabus; ICAI to waive off the articleship period for one (1) year under present exceptional circumstances; Revised guidelines may be notified and published for rendering the online facility for opening the correction window, including change in centres within a city, till last week of June, 2021; An Independent Authority be appointed to keep a check on the compliance of Covid-19 protocols at examination centres and submit reports on a daily basis with photographs and other evidence concerning proper sanitization of the examination centres; ICAI to withdraw the Advisory dated 11.02.2021 issued to the members & the students about social media posting for grievances and not to take any coercive action including withholding results of the CA candidates Respondents to ensure that the SOP formulated for the conduct of the physical examinations scheduled July, 2021, pan India is uniformly adopted by all the States/ UTs; Notified and published Guidelines formulated by ICAI may be duly and efficiently implemented by ICAI’s Council at each examination centre; ICAI to issue appropriate or alternate measures to overcome the additional considerations and challenges for protection of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of Constitution of India, to the candidates appearing in the scheduled physical examination to be held in July, 2021..[CA Exams 2021] Plea in Supreme Court seeks opt-out option, extra chance for candidates, increase in exam centres.Earlier, a similar plea was filed by advocate Anubha Srivastava Sahai challenging the June 5 notification issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) concerning the May cycle of the CA exams.The notification was assailed since it does not give students the choice to opt out before and during the exams and to carry forward all the benefits.