New Delhi,6 May:(Rajya Sabha)Precise estimates of the number of chartered accountants required in the country at any given time are not available. The requirement for persons having such qualification depends upon the demand for accountancy and audit services in the economy and may vary from time to time.The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, is presently the only Institute which imparts instruction in chartered accountancy courses in the country. There is no prescribed limit of number of seats in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Any eligible student who wishes to pursue the chartered accountancy course can joint the course.
The Institute has recently taken up the following measures to enhance the availability of chartered accountants: -(i) Introduction of a new scheme of education in 2006 to facilitate a higher number of students to join the chartered accountancy course.(ii) Enhancing training opportunities for articled assistants, which is a pre-requisite for the chartered accountancy course.This was stated by Shri Prem Chand Gupta, Minister of Corporate Affairs in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha here today.