Debit and Credit- Tales of Gong and Ward

Ward: Excuse me Weirdo!! Why for the heaven’s sake you are sniffing your books?

Gong: It’s the fragrance of the pages of the newly bought books. Love to smell them, exalts my spirits.

Ward: Hmm… It also  enhances your canine abilities. Does the fragrance of fresh paper the only thing which you look forward to in these New Books?

Gong: What are the other things you like to do with your books other than using them as a pillow and realizing its actual purpose only a month prior to the exams?

Ward: Well it depends. Before I buy the book, I check out the MRP and during the purchase of the book, the discount offered. After buying the book there are a loads of things 1 can check out.

Gong: Like?

Ward: Contents, Index, about the author, his qualifications, the Oscar moment and…

Gong: Oscar Moment??

Ward: Yeah, while at the end of writing every preface the author believes he should have his Oscar moment. He would thank his parents, spouse, children, publisher, teachers and others who were instrumental in his efforts to get the book published.

Gong: Interesting. [Rummages through his book] The author is thankful to his wife for her constant inspiration and to his son for his suggestions and untiring effort without which the current edition of the book would not come out within this short period.

Ward: The Publisher must have stressed him out with deadlines.

Gong: I have a friend who was thanked by an author for helping him in the publication of 1 of his books.

Ward: Your friend must have been proud about this privilege and at a later date might even consider an achievement.

Gong: Yeah, Even I felt proud of him.

Ward: I feel sorry for him.

Gong: Sorry. Why?

Ward: What good would an acknowledgement do? Its time students of professional courses actually start asserting themselves as professionals. They should demand a portion of the royalty instead of the name being published.

Gong: Dude that would be blasphemous. It would malign the sanctity of Student- teacher relationship.

Ward: On the other hand it would in fact aid practical learning. The student will then come to know the actual benefits of Sec 80 QQB.

Gong: Deduction with respect to Royalty as income. Do you think the student can actually earn a royalty income of Rs. 3 Lakhs or upwards to get the benefit of sec 80 QQB by just assisting the author? And moreover a book on Tax and Accounts does not fall under the category of being a work of literary, artistic or scientific nature. Then Sec 80 QQB is not applicable for textbooks.

Ward: What have you learnt in these many years of your article-ship? A loophole in the section is all you need. It specifically tells Textbooks for school. And did you forget the first lesson of your accounts class? Accounting is the art of recording classifying… And believe me Tax returns are stranger than any book on Truth or Fiction.

Gong: [Chuckles] I would certainly suggest this to my friend, the next time if the author asks him to assist.

Ward: When it comes to modesty in acknowledgement, B. Saravana Prasath takes the cake and the cherry. He expresses his gratitude to the ICAI for allowing him to use questions of its text books, compilation and revision test papers.

Gong: Honestly man. B.S.P. appears to be more gifted in MS- Word than in any other subject, a skill which eludes the authors of ICAI books. There is hardly any effort from his side other than using various format keys and tools in MS- Word like bulleting, embolden answers etc.

Ward: Well at times I wonder whether he is related to Kavya Vishwanathan a then Harvard undergraduate, the lady who wrote How Opal Mehta got kissed, got wild and got a life.

Gong: I remember her; they caught her for plagiarizing from a number of books. Someone suggested she could have used a bibliography.

Ward: It would not help if Saravana Prasath uses a bibliography, just 3 sources. RTPs, ICAI Material and compilation of past exam question papers.

And in each book of his published by PADHUKA he seeks for the blessings of Adi Shankaracharya. For Heaven’s sake each composition of Shankaracharya was an original and continues to mesmerize generation after generation. B.S.P cannot speak or write anything original.

Gong: However he is the largest purchased author when it comes to CA exams. Everyone reads him. You cannot deny it.

Ward: Yeah, I know those books are like astrology forecasts in your newspaper supplements. You cannot help it, criticize it but eventually read it.

Gong: [Rummaging through his book again] Hey these authors also welcome suggestions, feedback and constructive criticism from students.

Ward: Here is one feedback, Do not make your books 50 rupees dearer each time it goes for a new issue. If you actually want to express gratitude, do it in such a fashion that the receiver actually benefits from it like Royalty, Dinner in Mainland China or other such constructive ways.

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Kavya Vishwanathan was a Harvard school undergraduate who wrote the book, How Opal Mehta got kissed, got wild and got a life. Later she was accused of plagiarizing from a number of books.

Saravana Prasath [B.S.P] is a CA and also a popular teacher in Chennai. He had created a record of sorts with a 76% score topping  his CA Final exams. However his approach of copying questions and solutions from ICAI text book and reproducing it in Expensive books does not bode well with puritans and draws constant criticism. Popular among students the books do brisk business.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank CA Anand George Thomas for his constant support all these years. A graduate from Loyola College, Chennai, Anand cleared all his CA exams in the first attempt. Handsome, not  dark, relatively tall with a good physique; quite fond of animals. Highly recommended for ladies interested in Professional Accountants.  The acknowledgement is as per Ward’s advice.

Anand and the Kangaroos

Anand in Madame Tussaud

His Master's Rejoice!!