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ICWAI drafts development plan

Our Bureau

CALCUTTA, June 5

ALLOWING online payment of fees, mandatory enrolment in continuing professional education programmes for members and organising campus interviews for students form part of a 14-month draft development plan mooted by the Institute of Cost & Works Accounta nts of India (ICWAI).

ICWAI, whose senior office-bearers met in Calcutta over the week-end, has also decided to streamline its organisational set-up by reducing the number of committees, which number over a dozen.

Apart from the three standing committees (executive, examination and disciplinary), there would be four panels -- professional development, training & educational facilities, research & journal, and continuing professional education.

According to Mr. V.B. Behede, President of ICWAI, a major component of the development plan would draw strength from contemporary technology, particularly the Internet. A number of Net-centric proposals have come up for consideration. These include intro duction of a multi-functional Web site which would enable members/students to pay fees and download forms/study material. The site would both disseminate messages to members and provide glimpses into the ICWAI journal.

Keen to ensure greater interaction between students and industry, the institute would try to schedule campus interviews/placements for finalists. This would require contacts with corporates on a sustained basis. Students would also get the benefit of car eer counselling in both the pre-entry and post-qualification stages.

ICWAI brass has underlined the importance of continuing education for its members, and was studying the possibility of making this compulsory on a limited scale. In Mr. Behede's words, a member would, perhaps, be required to put in a certain number of ho urs before his or her certificate of practice came up for renewal. This, it was felt, would enable members to hone their professional skills even after qualifying.

Attention would be given to standardisation of systems, particularly those related to coaching and examination. Mr. Behede even hinted at securing ISO accreditation as a logical extension of such streamlining plans. The regional councils and the big chap ters of the institute would be encouraged to conduct training programmes for members independently.

According to Mr. Kunal Banerjee, Vice-President of ICWAI, it would like to revamp its syllabi in tune with modern developments. Critical elements such as WTO and cyberlaws were likely to be included. For students, all this would ensure professional devel opment.

ICWAI has mooted closer ties with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). Programmes on areas of common interest and sharing of libraries and research studies have been proposed.

Reciprocal exemptions with regard to some examinations conducted by the three bodies have been suggested, Mr. Banerjee said. This would lighten the burden on examinees and help the institute reach out to a wider section of students.