Grandfather Cracks CA at 71 After Helping Granddaughter With Her Studies
Retirement means doing nothing and taking it easy to most people. But Tara Chand Agarwal, a 71-year-old man from Jaipur, had other plans. He has just become a Chartered Accountant (CA)—something that’s challenging even for students of his age. His story is now inspiring people all across the country.
He Became a CA at 71 – A Truly Inspiring Story
Mr. Agarwal was previously employed by the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ). He retired in 2014 as Assistant General Manager. A couple of years later, in 2020, he lost his spouse. To come up from such grief he started reading the Bhagavad Gita as a way to deal with the sorrows, which once again brought him peace and again he found a direction in his life.
The actual surprise came when he started assisting his granddaughter in her CA studies. Initial assistance turned into a grand aspiration. It was back in 2021, when Mr Agarwal decided to register himself with the ICAI. He was 69 years that time. And after four long years of toil—having attempted it once before and failed—he eventually cleared the CA Final Examination in 2025!
What’s more incredible is that he did not take any tuitions. He prepared by himself from ICAI books and YouTube. Sometimes he even prepared in his younger son’s general store. He used to prepare for 8 to 10 hours a day. His family supported him all along, and he gives all the credit to them and the Gita for remaining focused and disciplined.
His inspiring story was posted on LinkedIn by CA Nikhilesh Kataria, and it fast turned viral. Everyone was fond of his commitment and appreciated him for showing the world that age is merely a figure.
Meanwhile, ICAI announced the CA Final May 2025 results on July 6. Maharashtra’s Ranjan Kabra secured the top rank with a staggering 516 out of 600 marks (AIR 1). Nishtha Bothra and Manav Rakesh Shah secured AIR 2 and AIR 3, respectively. A total of 14,247 students has cleared the CA final exam this time.
Here’s a look at the pass percentages:
| Group | Appeared | Passed | Pass % |
| Group 1 | 66,943 | 14,979 | 22.38% |
| Group 2 | 46,173 | 12,204 | 26.43% |
| Both Groups | 29,286 | 5,490 | 18.75% |
Conclusion:
Tara Chand Agarwal’s accomplishment is greater than a personal victory—it’s a strong testament that learning never grows old. At 71, when others are supposed to take it easy, he decided to push himself through one of India’s most demanding academic quests. His story is about challenging the idea of what can be achieved at any age, not just about passing tests. This story rather this particular event is a testament which explains that no desire is too big or too late if there is discipline, passion, and faith, as demonstrated by his journey, whether he was 17 or 70.
