In India, a Chartered Accountant is not just a professional. For many, it is an identity, a badge of honor, almost like a lifelong achievement unlocked. Pass any street where professionals live, and you’ll find neat nameplates outside homes. Some say “Dr. Sharma,” others say “Advocate Verma.” But then, there’s the unmistakable “CA Gupta.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Scroll through LinkedIn or Instagram, and you’ll see it again: CA before the name. It’s as though passing the CA exam wasn’t just a career step, but a new birth certificate.
Why this obsession? To be fair, the CA exam is one of the toughest in India. Thousands attempt, but only a small percentage succeed. Families treat it like a national victory. So naturally, the ones who pass feel like they’ve climbed Mount Everest. Except instead of a flag at the summit, they plant “CA” in front of their names.
But here’s where it becomes amusing for the common man. Doctors don’t usually write “Dr.” on facebook bios unless they’re running a clinic. Engineers don’t go around flaunting “Engr.” on their whatsapp DP. But with CAs, it’s different — the profession itself becomes a personality.
Now, this isn’t to mock the hard work or the success. It’s more of an observation. Sometimes, the pride spills into over-display. To the outsider, it looks like a marketing campaign: “Yes, I’m a CA. Did you know I’m a CA? Let me remind you, I’m a CA.”
At the end of the day, it’s light-hearted. CAs are an important backbone of our economy. But perhaps, just perhaps, they could let their work do the talking, instead of their nameplates.
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