R. Sivabhogam- First Women Chartered Accountant of India

Do you know who the first woman CA of our country was?

Well the plain looking, 23 year old women from Vellore, R.Sivabhogam surprised the nation when she became the first certified women Chartered Accountant. Born on 23^rd July, 1907 she completed her schooling from Lady Wellington School, Chennai. Extremely motivated by clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi, she along with her friends participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement and was imprisoned for a year. It was during that time she developed the interest in Accounts and desired to explore the horizons, untouched by women at that time. She got full support from her elder sister and registered herself for the Government Diploma in Accountancy and subsequently created the history by becoming the First Indian Women Accountant in 1933. She underwent articleship training under Mr C.S Sastri.

She was keen in starting an independent practice but British government enacted a law, preventing the people who were imprisoned to register themselves as Accountants. She filed a petition against the act and miraculously got the verdict in her favor. Later, she became the Chairperson of the Southern India Regional Council (SIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She became India’s first women who hold this position for a continuous period of three years. During her tenure, Sivabhogam carried out number of audits. Her forte was Reserve Bank of India audit. However, she preferred conducting audits of charitable institution. She motivated youngsters to take up the Chartered Accountancy course, and provided coaching classes. She was keen that girls join the CA course and also offered prize for the best women candidate in the Final examination. There has been a steady growth (approx 20%) in the women CA. At this rate, the country will have half the number of women CAs in the next three decades. A true patriot, Sivabhogam wore khadi throughout her life and travelled only by bus. An endowment in her name is being created for awarding scholarships to economically weak women students desirous of pursuing the CA course.