CAREER AS A COMPANY SECRETARY is
not only prestigious and financially rewarding but also carries with it a high
level of job satisfaction.
Employment
Prospects
A qualified company
secretary has openings in Employment and can also practice as an
Independent Professional
Pursuant to section 383A of the Companies Act, 1956, companies with
a paid-up share capital of Rs. 5 crores or more are compulsorily required
to appoint a whole time Company Secretary who must be a member of the
Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
·All companies
seeking listing on Stock Exchange are required to appoint a whole timecompany secretary
·Almost every kind
of organization whose affairs are conducted by boards, councils or other
corporate structures, be it a company, trust, association, federation,
authority, commission or the like, finds it useful to appoint a person who
holds the qualification of Company Secretaryship in key administrative
position.
·Membership of the
Institute is recognized for appointment to superior posts and services under
Central Government.
Self-Employment/Practising Company Secretaries
·After obtaining a
'Certificate of Practice' from the Institute, Members of the Institute can go
in for Independent Practice.
·Every company having a paid-up share capital of Rs.
Ten Lakhs or more but lessthan Rs. five Crores is required to engage the services of a Secretary
in Whole-Time Practice for issue of Compliance Certificate.
·Pursuantto Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement,
Practising Company Secretaries have been authorized to issue Certificate
regarding compliance of conditions of Corporate Governance as stipulated in the
Clause.
·Practising
Company Secretaries have also been recognized to appear before various
Tribunals such as Company Law Board, Securities Appellate Tribunal, Monopolies
and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, Competition Commission of
India,Telecom Disputes Settlement and
Appellate Tribunal, Consumer Forums, Tax Tribunals etc.
·Recently, the Reserve Bank of India has
recognized the Practising Company Secretaries to undertake Diligence Report for
Banks.
"The Institute of Company Secretaries of India"
(ICSI) is a premier National
Professional body established by Act of
Parliament to develop and regulate the Profession of Company Secretaries.
ICSI
imparts training in Company
Secretaryship by Distance Learning (by correspondence) enabling students to qualify as Company
Secretaries. The Institute provides "Course Material" for all the
subjects at the time of Registration. There
is also provision for Optional Oral Coaching classes.
The Company Secretaryship Course: A course that
transforms students into corporate professonals
Stages
to become a Company Secretary:
The student who would like
to join the Course after 10+2
has to undergo three stages to pursue
the Company Secretaries Course i.e.
Foundation Programme
Executive Programme
Professional Programme
The Student who would like to join the Course after
passing the Graduation has to undergo two stages of the Company Secretaryship
i.e.
Executive Programme
Professional Programme
Foundation Programme which is of eight months
duration can be pursued by 10+2
pass students of Arts, Science or Commerce stream (Excluding Fine Arts)
Executive
Programme can be pursued by a Graduate
of all streams except Fine Arts.
Professional
Programme can be pursued only after
clearing the Executive Programme of CS Course.
Training
Requirements
A
student has to undergo 16 month Training in a company or under a Practising
Company Secretary after passing the Executive Programme or Professional
Programme. Students who possess prescribed practical experience can seek
partial or total exemption from Training.Sponsorship for the Training is made by the Institute. The companies and
the Practising Company Secretaries pay stipend during the training period. In
addition every student is required to undergo 15 days Training in a specialized
agency and 15 days Secretarial Modular Training Programme.
After
qualifying the CS Professional Programme and on successful completion of
Training, a candidate is enrolled as an Associate Member of the Institute and
can use the descriptive title "ACS" after his/ her name.
ADMISSION
TO THE CS COURSE is open throughout the year.Examinations are held twice a year in June & December.There is no minimum pass percentage requirement for
admission.
Cut
off dates for admission to CS course:
For
Foundation Programme
31st
March for appearing in December Examinationin the same year
·recognized by
the various Universities for admission to PhD Course
·appointment
ofLecturers in Commerce &
Management
SUBJECTSFOR
CSPROGRAMME
There
are 4 papers in CSFoundation
Programme
There are 6 papers divided into 2 Modules in CS Executive Programme
There are 8 papers divided
into 4Modules in CSProfessionalProgramme
SUBJECTS
Foundation Programme
( 4 papers)
English & Business Communication
Economics & Statistics
Financial Accounting
Elements of Business Laws and Management
Executive Programme [6 papers]
Module I
(3 papers)
Generaland Commercial Laws
Company
Accounts,Cost & Management
Accounting
Tax Laws
Module II
(3 papers)
Company Law
Economic and Labour Laws
Securities Law and Compliances
Professional Programme [8 papers]
Module I
(2 papers)
Company Secretarial Practice
Drafting,Appearances and Pleadings
Module II
(2 papers)
Financial, Treasury and Forex Management
Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency
Module III
(2 papers)
·Strategic
Management, Alliances and International Trade
Advance Tax Laws and Practices
Module IV
(2 papers)
Due Diligence and Corporate Compliance
Management
Governance, Business Ethics and Sustainability
ICSI
Introduces 24X7 Study through E-Learning: (http://elearning.icsi.edu)
In order to facilitate students, e-learning portal is available
for the Company Secretary Foundation Programme which will also be extended to
Executive Programme and Professional Programme in due course. Students through
out the country including rural and semi-urban areas as well as from other
countries can avail this 24x7 hours on-line study facility as the portal has
global reach.
Under e-learning, students can have continuous access to studies
and guidance of faculties on-line.The
e-learning module will enable the students to have access to learning and
faculty support at any time as per their convenience.Interactivity will be established by modules
such as Discussion Boards and Online Chat. After the proposed virtual classroom
facility under e-learning portal starts, students will be able to interact live
with the faculty.This will take the CS
course studies virtually into the space age.
Undergoing of e-learning is in addition and not in substitution to
compulsory postal tuition.E-learning is
designed to provide a virtual contact between the teacher and the taught.
Students intending to join e-learning are therefore, required to pay additional
fees as determined by the Institute from time to time.
ICSI - IGNOU MOU:
Specialised B.Com & M.Com courses for students
& Members of Company Secretaryship
The
Institute has been continuously endeavouring towards capacity building of its
students and members. It is in this direction, The Institute of Company
Secretaries of India (ICSI) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Under
this MOU, IGNOU offers a specialized B.Com Course with major in Corporate
Affairs and Administration and specialized M.Com Course in Business Policy and
Corporate Governance exclusively for the students of Company Secretaryship and
Members of the ICSI.
MOU with ICSA, London
The
ICSI and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, UK (ICSA) after satisfying the high standards
of examination and appreciating each others activities in promoting the best
practices in Company Secretaryship and professional education & administrationsigned an MOU which provides
for reciprocal exemptions on mutual basis.Members of ICSI are exempted from passing 14 out of 17 papers and are
required to pass the following three core papers to acquire the membership of
ICSA:
.Corporate Law
.Corporate Secretaryship
.Corporate Administration
Members
of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, in good standing for a period
of two years, can avail of the benefit of the MOU.