September 2002

Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, Mumbai conducted a well-attended Seminar for Chartered Accountants with the theme "Balance Sheet of Life -A Self Audit" on Sunday the 29th of September, 2002 at Dharmakshetra, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (E) 

This program was conducted bearing in mind the accounting and financial scandals, which have been laid bare during the past few years, which have unraveled the race of greed by a select few and highlighted the need for financial transparency. Baba says politics without principles, education without character, science without humanity and commerce without morality are not only useless, but positively dangerous. This further inspired the Organization to conduct this program. The program focused on Self-Audit and analysis of role and contribution of Chartered Accountants in the social/moral fabric of society. Importance of corporate governance and the Chartered Accountants Role in the present scenario was discussed. The Conference aimed to make every Chartered Accountants realize that self-audit comes before auditing others, which also called for effective practice of code of ethics. 

Shri Jayant Patil Hon'ble Minister of Finance, Government of Maharashtra who was the Guest of Honour narrated his experiences with Baba and linked the same with his own life's Balance Sheet. Shri Nimish Pandya, Bombay President of the Organization set forth the objectives of the Seminar. He emphasized that the onus lies on the fraternity of Chartered Accountants to transform the whole world and suggested that they do self-audit first and follow the code of ethics before auditing others Balance Sheet. This was followed by a keynote address by the Chief Guest Shri A. N. Haksar, Chairman Emeritus, ITC Limited on the Corporate Governance and how one has to act as a trustee of a company. Shri P. N. Shah, Past President of ICAl shared the Code of Ethics envisaged for the professional fraternity. This, he remarked, if followed with heart and soul would guard the fraternity from sliding into the morass of misfeasance presently prevalent in the developed world. There were two unique presentations on "Self Audit" and "Balance Sheet of Life" whereby the financial concepts were applied to the Individual in raising the consciousness to higher levels where the heart will rule over the head. There was an audio-visual presentation on Sri Sathya Sai Baba disseminating information on His Life and Mission. 

An inter active panel discussion on "Balance Sheet of Life" comprising of Guest of Honors, eminent present and past managing committee members of ICAI, finally concluded the program with the consensus of a 9-point charters to be followed by fraternity and a pledge by the financial pundits to influence the city by strength of character and values.