At 63, he has realised he is world's youngest CA
Meeta Ghosh
Luchnow, July 28

How would a soft-spoken and sober man react to a letter that reads, "You are officially a Guinness World Records holder. Your name has been recorded as the world's youngest chartered accountant". Naturally, tears of joy would well up in his eyes.

That exactly how Ramendra Chandra Ganguly reacted as he disclosed the good news to his wife.

"It is a dream too good to be true; a dream I never imagined would ever be fulfilled. I slogged and waited for 44 years to see my dreams turn into reality", he quipped.

Born on May 10, 1937, Ganguly, a man with an iron will, fought his physical disabilities to reach to the top. "I strongly feel that a person, in spite of all odds and disabilities, can achieve anything he wants, provided he has a clear vision, firm determination and ability to work hard", says Ganguly.

When asked about the hurdles of life, he said that he was born with physical disabilities. But all the humiliation and embarrassment that Ganguly faced from his friends, neighbours, relatives, and a even few of his teachers, helped to cement his determination of making it big one day.

Ganguly vowed never to be cowed. After finishing his Intermediate at the age of sixteen, he completed his graduation and articleship for Chartered Accountancy, simultaneously, in 1956, when he was only nineteen year old.

How did this event occur after so many years. Ganguly said, "After 44 years of my professional career, I thought it was the right time for me to find out whether I was the youngest chartered accountant in the world or not.

"So in February, I posed the query to the International Records Keeper, the Guinness World Records Ltd. This month they issued a certificate to me confirming that I was."

Speaking about his driving force, Ganguly said optimism counts, because it demolished all the hurdles of his life and eclipsed every negative vibe.

Source: The Hindustan Times
Dated 29th July, 2000