ICSI Revamps Training Structure - Focus on Practical and Skill Based Training

Company Secretaries Regulation 1982 has been amended through Company Secretaries (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 to strengthen each milestone in the process of becoming a Company Secretary. The amended regulation aims to equip and develop members of the Institute with requisite knowledge and skills to meet the expectations of the industry, regulators and other stakeholders.

Speaking about the revamped Training Structure, CS Ashish Garg, President The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) said, “Implementation of amendment regulations will take the Company Secretary Profession to newer heights and will surely help the Institute to realise its Vision & Mission. Skills are an indispensable component. In this regard, Company Secretaries too need to have an armory of Communication and Professional skills, Legal skills, Management skills and IT skills. All this would be kept as an integral part of the new training structure. The entrance test to CS Executive shall ensure that the students have the requisite level of aptitude and skills to pursue the CS course and become successful professionals”

Introduction of Practical & Skill Based Training

The new training structure for students, comprises of 24 months training which shall provide them with a platform to develop their core competencies and  harness their soft skills including managerial and leadership capabilities. Executive passed students are required to  undergo :

1. One month Executive Development Programme (EDP) which will equip them with necessary soft and IT skills.
2. 21 month  practical training, with Industry/Practicing Company Secretary . 

Corporate Leadership Development Program (CLDP) is the last stage of training for students who have passed the Professional Programme and have completed the practical training, which is a residential programme for a period of one to two months and will further enhance their communication, legal, managerial and IT skills required for Company Secretary Profession.

Formation of Academic Committee

To strengthen the Company Secretary Course curriculum at Executive and Professional Level, the new regulations prescribe for constitution of an Academic Committee, to give macro perspective to the syllabus, training and examination on various parameters including legal, economic and business aspects.

Professional Development Initiatives for Members

The amendment regulations facilitate introduction of various Courses and Orientation Programmes for the members.  Also, provisions for mandatory requirement for completion of Professional Development Credit Hours for elevation from ACS to FCS membership, Know Your Member (KYM) declaration and Certificate of Living for the members, concessional fee for physically challenged and senior citizens who are seventy years or above have also been introduced.

Introduction of ICSI Secretarial Executive Certificate

To create employment opportunities for the students, the amendment regulations have introduced the concept of awarding ‘ICSI- Secretarial Executive Certificate’ for the students who have passed the Executive Programme and completed EDP and practical training as prescribed/exempted under these regulations and such students may use the description ‘ICSI – Secretarial Executive’ and may continue to pursue the Company Secretaryship course.

Reducing time gap between Registration & Examination

With an objective of speeding up the completion cycle of Company Secretaryship Course, the amendment regulations have also reduced the minimum gap between the date of registration and the date of examination from an earlier period of 9 months to 6 months for appearing in all modules and from 6 months to 4 months for appearing in any one module of Executive/Professional programme.

Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET)

To test the aptitude of the candidates required for the profession of Company Secretaries, Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET) has been introduced as the qualifying test for registration to Executive Programme. The entrance test which includes a Computer Based Test (CBT) and an Online Viva-Voce  is the first level of Company Secretaryship Course. CSEET has been introduced keeping in view the diverse academic standards of students seeking admission in the Company Secretary Course, to attract meritorious students and to test their aptitude for the Company Secretary profession.

Company Secretaries Regulations were initially introduced in the year 1982 and as amended from time to time, have now been further amended vide Company Secretaries (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 and published in the Gazette of India vide Notification No. 710/1(M)/1 dated February 03, 2020. The amendment regulations are applicable from February 03, 2020.

Note: This article has been published on the basis of press communication by the college