Company Secretary is a course which one of the most sought after courses in India. This course is administered and controlled by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). This institution is established under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980. The main objective of the establishment was to develop and control the CS profession in the country.

A CS course will enable the students with the know how of the latest process and practice in the corporate world. It also makes the students aware of the financial and legal affairs in the companies.

The service of an experienced Company Secretary is an unavoidable requisite for a company’s management.

Company Secretary Course is separated into to 3 stages:-

• Foundation Program
• Executive Program
• Professional Program

A CS course is an amalgamation of postal tuition and coaching classes. There will be regular examinations, which is conducted at specified centers all over the country.

Advantages or Benefits of Company Secretary Course

• The job and career prospect for a Company Secretary are plentiful equally in private and public sector.
• Being a key member of the organization, a Company secretary is considered to be one of the most respectable employee.
• A Company Secretary is also compensated handsomely for the upright services provided to the company.
• A Company Secretary can arrive at the top of the management level through experience and services. One can even reach to a Chairman or even the Director level in the company.

Eligibility Criteria for CS

The basic eligibility needed to join the Foundation course for CS is 10+2 or an equivalent course. Students from any stream, except for Fine Arts can join the CS course. Candidate who are about to pass the 10+2 course with in 6 months time can also join the Foundation course, with the proof of clearing the examination.

Admission Procedure for CS

For admission to the CS course the students initially have to fill the application form. This is available along with the Prospectus from the ICSI. The candidates who are interested to join can obtain the form by sending a Rs200/- through cash payment. They can also send a DD of Rs250/- drawn in favor of “The Institute of Company Secretaries of India”. The DD must be payable at New Delhi.

Important Dates:

The students desirous of joining the course can apply for admission to the course throughout the year. The students will have to enroll themselves with the I.C.S.I. The candidates will have to pass the Foundation examination with in the time limit of 3 years from the period of admission. The exam for the Foundation course is held in the month of December and June every year. The candidates have to register with the ICSI before 9 months prior to the exam. The bare minimum period of the course is 8 months.

Institutions and Centers offering CS program

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (I.C.S.I) is the only single institute in India which offers the course. This institution endows the student with proper training in this core area of specialization.

List of ICSI Offices in India is as follows:-

Headquarter :

ICSI House, 22, Institutional ARea, Lodi Road, New DElhi- 110 003.

Regional Council Centers:

EIRC, 18-A, Everest House (18th Floor), 46-C, Chowringhee Road, Calcutta-700 071.

NIRC, ICSI-NIRC Building, Plot No.4, Prasad Nagar, Institutional Area, (Behind Kalindi College), Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110 005.

WIRC, No. 13, Jolly Maker Chambers, No. 11 (Ist Floor), Nariman Point, Mumbai-400 021.

SIRC, No. 4, Wheat Crofts Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai-600 034.

International Training:

The ICSI in alliance with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), London, has structured a program which allows the Company Secretaries from India to take up and complete 3 additional papers offered by ICSA. This will help the Indian professionals to get international certification and thereby increase the employment prospects abroad. The I.C.S.I also has alliances with the Centre for Corporate Research and Training in order to enhance the possibility for higher education in this field. Candidates who have completed the CS final course are allowed to take up Doctoral Research in this field at the prestigious National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore. The candidates who are interested to go further in their studies can also avail the Post-Membership Qualification Course in Capital Markets and Financial Services from the IC.S.I.

CS course curriculum

Foundation Course is an 8 month duration course, which is the initial entry level on the path of becoming a Company Secretary. The CS Foundation Course has subjects and topics which includes legal facet of taxation, labor laws etc. It also includes corporate law, accounting, auditing and also financial analysis.

The subjects of study for the Foundation Course are:

• English and Business Communication (FCEBC)
• Basic Economics and Business Environment (FCBE-BE)
• Financial Accounting (FCFA)
• Elements of Business Laws and Management
• Information Systems and Quantitative Techniques (FCISQT)

Intermediate Course is a 10 month long course and is the 2^nd level which comes after the foundation course. There is also another means by which one can enter in to the Intermediate Course with out passing the Foundation course. A candidate who is either a graduate or a post graduate or else those who have passed ICWAI or CA etc can enroll for the Intermediate course without going through the Foundation course.

Key Subjects / Topics of Study:

Group-I

• Company Accounts and Cost & Management Accounting (ICA & CMA)
• General Laws and Commercial Laws (IGCL)
• Management Information Systems and Corporate Communication (IMIS & CC)
• Tax Laws (ITL)

Group-II

• Company Law (ICL)
• Company Secretarial Practice (ICSP)
• Economic, Labour and Industrial Laws (IELIL)
• Securities Laws and Regulation of Financial Markets (ISL & RFM)

Final Course for Company Secretary is a 10 month long course. It is the last and final course in the route of becoming a Company Secretary.

In the CS Final Course, there are basically 9 subjects. These are arranged into 3 groups which include 3 papers of 100 marks each.

Group I:

• Advanced Company Law and Practice (FACLP)
• Secretarial Management and Systems Audit (FSMSA)
• Secretarial Practice relating to Economic Laws and Drafting and Conveyance (FSPELDC)

Group II:

• Banking and Insurance-Law and Practice (FBILP)
• Corporate Restructuring-Law and Practice (FCRLP)
• Financial, Treasury and Forex Management (FFTFM)

Group III:

• Direct and Indirect Taxation-Law and Practice (FDITLP)
• Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations (FHRMIR)
• World Trade Organization-International Trade, Joint Ventures and Foreign Collaborations (FWTO)

Company Secretary Training:

A candidate who has completed the Final examination will have to undergo a practical training. This is enforced by the institution in order to provide direct experience regarding the operation of a corporate sector. These types of on hand training will help the candidates to have a strong theoretical stand and practical exposure.

The candidate who doesn’t have prior experience will have to go through an on the job training for about 15 months in a reputed company or else under the proper guidance of a practicing Company Secretary.

Exemptions provided in the course curriculum

A candidate is provided with an exemption in some of the papers in CS on the grounds of qualification:

• Candidates who have a Master of Corporate Secretary ship, M.Com, M.B.A, B.A (C.S), B.Com, M.B.A. from a recognized university is excepted from Company Accounts and Cost and Management Accounting (ICA & CMA) paper.
• A candidate who has a degree in Law or Master of Corporate Secretary ship is exempted from the General and Commercial Laws (IGCL)
• A candidate who has a Master of Corporate Secretary ship is exempted from Tax Laws (ITL).

Final Course for Company Secretary (CS)

The candidates who have passed the Final examination of the ICWAI will get an exemption from the following subjects.

• Financial, Treasury and Forex Management
• Direct and Indirect Taxation - Law and Practice

Company Secretary Course Scope

With globalization on full spear, India is going through a massive growth. There are many new companies which are emerging in the economic scene. This will be an added advantage for a company secretary as the roles of these personals are very crucial and unavoidable .A Company Secretary provides advices on matters having legal, secretarial, and managerial importance and also on tax related matters.

A person who has done a Company Secretary Ship course can easily get employment in many of the government accounts or law departments. One can also climb the ladder and even become a Chairman or Managing Director of a Company. With the gaining of experience and skills, knowledgeable personnel’s can even reach up to be a part of the esteemed Board of Directors of a Company.

A upcoming Company Secretary can expect to kick start his career with a pay package starting from Rs.20,000 - Rs.25,000. Nevertheless for some of the candidates a monthly salary starting from Rs.10, 000 is almost guaranteed in the initial stages of their career.

Job for CS

Exposure to an in depth study and training in different fields will develop the resourcefulness of a company secretary. A Company secretary has an immense possibility of employment in various sectors like, Private companies, consulting firms, banks and other regulatory bodies.

A Company secretary is expected to understand all the relevant areas in law. Their assistance are required in administration, supervision, scheduling and general running of the company. This makes them the company’s chief administrator.

Apart from a standard employment the CS holders can also render the following Services:

• Arbitration and Conciliation
• Capital Market and Investor Relations
• Corporate Advisory Services
• Corporate Restructuring
• Due Diligence
• Financial Management
• Foreign Collaborations and Joint Ventures
• Legal, Secretarial and Corporate Governance
• Project Planning

Some Employment Areas:

• Banks
• Company Law Boards
• Company Secretary Ship Consultancy Firms
• Departments of Company Affairs
• Financial Institutions
• Government Departments
• Other Regulatory Bodies
• Private Companies
• Stock Exchanges

Qualities to become a successful Company Secretary:

• Candidate must be committed and capable in writing and speaking good English.
• A positive and moral attitude is important.
• Diplomacy must be pursued in considering the company strategies and policy of the company.
• Loyalty, sophistication and hardworking individuals are ordained to become successful company secretary.

Remuneration after CS

Company Secretaries are offered higher salaries when compared to other administrative staffs. The compensation and state of affairs of service depend on the qualification and skill. Some of the standard monthly earnings of a Junior Secretarial Officer will be in between Rs. 8000 to Rs 10,000 plus per month. A Company Secretary can easily demand more than Rs. 15000 plus a month in their initial career stage. This will only rise in the due course after they gain more experience and exposure in the similar field.