The calendar year 2019 started on a high note with the Residential Refresher Course of The Bombay Chartered Accountants’ Society being experienced in its 52nd ‘avatar’ at Agra from the 3rd to 6th January, 2019. The pioneering flagship event of BCAS is in the truest sense – an annual pilgrimage for CA practitioners. The two-pronged differentiators of a) being an acknowledged knowledge platform and b) being relevant with changing times, has been the hallmark of BCAS-RRC for the last six decades.
The edge of knowledge was at its fullest display at the 52nd edition. The depth of technical content, the multi-faceted integrated approach to burning issues, the experience of professional stalwarts and the actionable knowledge insights, ensured the participants remained in a ‘state of awe’ throughout.
The BCAS-RRC platform has also been a close witness to the changing landscape of the accountancy profession since the RRC was first introduced. The format has consistently evolved itself to stay relevant and continues to add maximum value to its participants in contemporary times. The mere survival of the idea for six decades, is in itself a testimony to the adaptiveness and spirit. The 52nd edition continued its evolutionary journey and many ‘firsts’ were experienced. A four-and-half hour panel discussion on integrated issues, full-day presentation papers on Practice Management, video insights by internationally renowned practice management gurus, networking session for youth members were some of the most-appreciated ‘firsts’.
The auspiciousness of lighting the lamp kick-started the proceedings with opening thoughts by President BCAS, CA. Sunil Gabhawalla and Chairman, Seminar and Membership Development Committee, CA. Narayan Pasari. The tone for the next four days was firmly seeded in this address by the President and the Chairman. A galaxy of Past Presidents of BCAS graced the opening session.
Swiftly after announcing the inauguration of the RRC, the participants experienced a superlative panel discussion on Contemporary and Burning issues with a 360-degree perspective on Direct Tax, Indirect Tax and Accounting. The panel discussion was curated in the form of case studies that were posed by Moderator and Past President CA. Chetan Shah along with President CA. Sunil Gabhawalla to the three elite panellists being CA. Pradip Kapasi (Past President BCAS) dealing with direct tax aspects, Adv. K. Vaitheeswaran dealing with indirect taxes and CA. Sudhir Soni dealing with accounting aspects. The holistic approach of the panel discussion covering three subjects left the participants satiated to a great extent but at the same time they had the urge to imbibe more. In the words of CA. Nina Kapasi, it was truly a ‘Triveni Sangam of Gyan’.
The second-day promised to be a blockbuster day with the entire day being dedicated to Practice Management. With razor sharp focused topics, the day lived up to its expectations and enabled participants with ‘How-to-do and What-we-do’. The day was modulated into various sessions each dealing with a specific aspect of (i) Client Servicing being facilitated by CA. Vaibhav Manek, Technology and Human Resources being briefed by Past President CA. Ameet Patel, Networking and Mergers by Past President CA. Shariq Contractor, Succession Planning by CA. Nilesh Vikamsey and Ethics by none other than CA. Jayant Gokhale. The five stalwarts akin to ‘pandavas’ ably bridged the multi-faceted domain of Practice Management and opened the minds of the participants to newer ideas and reinforced the values that practitioners needs to stand by. International experts Mr. Lee Frederiksen and Mr. August Aquila also shared their insights on topics through a video snippet. These 6 sessions were chaired by our regular participant CA. Nilima Joshi and Past Presidents CA. Mayur Nayak, CA. Narayan Pasari, CA. Rajesh Muni, CA. Pranay Marfatia and CA. Ashok Dhere. The participants unwinded the day with singing and live karaoke.
The third-day was vintage direct tax group discussion on case studies with paper writer CA. Milin Mehta stirring the thought-process of the participants with immersive case studies. The session was chaired by Past President CA. Anil Sathe. The presentation paper on recent developments in auditing and accounting was presented by CA. Khurshed Pastakia. This session was chaired by Vice President CA. Manish Sampat. These sessions were chaired by Vice President CA. Manish Sampat and Past President CA. Anil Sathe. The day also allowed participants to visit the famed Taj Mahal and bask in glory of India’s history. Participants networked at the Taj while being awestruck with the monument and framed themselves in a lot of group pictures. Memory will be etched for a long time.
The ultimate day came to be calling with a focused group discussion and paper solving in Indirect Taxes by paper-writer Adv. V. Raghuraman. The session was chaired by Past President CA. Deepak Shah. A presentation paper by CA. Anup Shah on succession and estate planning was cherry on the cake. This session was chaired by our regular participant CA. Phalguna Kumar.
The closing session ended by Vote of Thanks to the Speakers, Participants, Hotel Management, the BCAS Staff, and of course the members of the organising team of the Seminar & Membership Development Committee who worked on this event over last 8 months and made it perfect for the participants at Agra. Chairman CA. Narayan Pasari invited the new participants at the RRC to share their insights and their experience to the audience where they described about the knowledge they gathered over the four days and how warmly the BCAS RRC was.
Past President CA. Uday Sathaye, while speaking at the vote of thanks, praised the history of Agra and the remembrance of RRC with his superlative poem in Hindi. The Kumbh of Knowledge has turned a chapter and the
quest for excellence continues until we meet next at the 2020 RRC.
