A cricket tournament set to be hosted by the Thane branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India ( ICAI ) was at the center of a heated online debate after details revealed a significant disparity in cash prizes awarded to men’s and women’s teams, despite levying the same registration fees on both.
According to the official announcement, the tournament, scheduled to take place on May 31, 2025, at TMC Turfpark near Dhaval Hills, Thane (W) required all teams to remit a registration fee of ₹3,000 per team, inclusive of GST.
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However, the prize distribution amounts raised lashes and brows; the men’s winning team stood to receive ₹8,000 while the runner up would receive ₹5,000. Conversely, the women’s winning team was set to be awarded ₹5,000 and runner up would receive ₹3,500.
The disparity in prize amounts decided upon by the ICAI did not go unnoticed as X user CA Shweta Jain Patil (@Anuana10) sparked an online discussion querying the inequality in the prize money while highlighting that the same amount was being collected from both men’s and women’s teams for registration.
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Members from the public and the CA profession set aside their revered rulebooks for a moment to engage in groupism and gender bashing. Some argued that the variance in the prize money is owed to the lesser number of women that may participate in the event as compared to men, resulting in an unequal contribution to the total prize pool.
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While many users contended that the disparity was unfair, a number of self-proclaimed moralists found joy in bashing the global interest surrounding women’s cricket, preferential treatment at social venues, woke mindset, feminism and critical thinking not akin to that expected from a chartered accountant.
A popular voice among the tax community, Abhishek Raja “Ram” (@abhishekrajaram) called on to verify the number of participants in each category to determine the relevant prize money and suggested that higher registration fees be collected from women/girls to maintain an equivalent pool.
Subjects such as finance, market forces and courtesy costing found a mention amid the furore with calls for a reevaluation of the prize structure also rising.
This isn’t the first time the ICAI has found itself under public scrutiny for decisions perceived as discriminatory toward women. Just last year, the institute drew nationwide criticism during its 2024 International Conference for CA students in Kolkata, when women were reportedly removed from the front rows at the behest of a religious guest, Swami Gyanvatsalya, who had threatened to walk out if women were present near the stage.
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Footage of the incident, which captured a committee member instructing “No ladies, no girls, no girl volunteers should even stand,” prompted severe backlash across platforms and led to the ICAI ordering an internal probe.
The situation was seen as blasphemous by many and was especially jarring given that it unfolded at a professional forum meant to celebrate the achievements of chartered accountants, regardless of gender.
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An interesting note is that the pickleball, chess and table tennis tournaments also held by the Thane ICAI, charge uniform registration fees and promise uniform prizes without any mention of men or women. ICAI Thane branch is yet to issue an official statement addressing the concerns raised.
In an ecosystem where eligibility and calibre should be the only yardsticks, reinforcing gender divide inflicts more than just embarrassment – it fosters mistrust, disillusionment, and a damaging sense of groupism in an environment where solidarity and equity should be the norm.
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