To address the shortfalls in the preparation of accounts across various tiers of local self-governments, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has developed a set of online courses to create a pool of accountants.
The courses are: Certificate Course for Accountants of Municipal Bodies (CAMB) and Certificate Course for Accountants of Panchayats (CAP). The exams will have two levels:
- Level 1 exam (Screening exam): For Town Panchayats, the basics of the accrual-based accounting system will be tested; For Gram Panchayats, the basics of the cash-based accounting system will be tested.
- Level 2 exam (Main Exam): For Municipal Corporations and Municipalities, the exam will test the accounting systems of Municipal bodies; For Zila and Block Panchayats, the exam will test the accounting systems of the Panchayats.
Each course is for 3 months from the closure of registration to the date of examination. Separate registration is needed for screening and the main examination. A certificate will be given for each course. Any Class XII-qualified candidate can apply by paying a registration fee of Rs.500. Self-study materials – both e-study materials (prepared by ICAI) and pre-recorded lectures (with subtitles in regional languages, including Tamil) will be made available immediately upon registration. The exams can be taken in the regional language.
The screening test will have multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and the main exam will have both – MCQs and objective questions. Registration for the second batch is going on in full swing. Those who are interested in working as accountants in local self-governments in their local areas, can make use of this opportunity and enrol themselves for the online courses. For more details and registration, checkout: https://lba.icaiarf.org.in/.
