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Complete Guide to Become a Company Secretary Career Path

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Becoming a company secretary is one of the most reputable, high-growth and rewarding career options for anyone. A company secretary is also known as a “corporate secretary” in some parts of the world. It is also a highly specialised and coveted career option that one can enter. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is a premier National Professional body established by the Act of Parliament to form and regulate the Profession of Company Secretaries.

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) provides training in Company Secretaryship by Distance Learning (by correspondence), which permits the students to qualify as Company Secretaries. At the time of registration, the Institute furnishes course material for all the subjects. There is a provision for optional oral coaching classes. Serving as a Company Secretary is a respected and lucrative profession that also provides a strong sense of job fulfilment.

What is Company Secretary Course?

For the students with a commerce background, a CS course or a Company Secretary course is specially designed. But a student from any field who has finished 12th standard can do the same course. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India offers the course to become a Company Secretary (CS). Students can do this course from a distance learning.

The candidates must crack the CSEET or the Company Secretary Executive Entrance test who desired eligible to seek admission to this program. The conduct of the exam is on a national level. Four Company Secretary Course programs are there which the candidates can pursue to become a secretary of a company, namely, the Foundation Programme, Executive Programme, Professional Programme, and Management Training.

Eligibility Criteria for CS in 2025

The aspirants looking to become certified CS in India need to undergo a three-year CS course. If you are looking to make a career in CS, you must enrol under the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), the statutory professional body of India regulating the CA/CS profession. Higher Secondary Certificate (10+2) from any recognized board of education or its equivalent from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Council for Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is eligible for higher studies as CS.

A CS aspirant should pass the Higher Secondary Examination (10+2) from any recognized board of education or its equivalent from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India. Apart from this, graduates having a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and Master of Commerce (M.Com) degree, along with a Chartered Accountancy professional, can also become a CS in India, provided they clear the exam conducted by ICSI.

Medium of Examination – The Institute allows facility to students to appear in the examination in English as well as in Hindi. (Except Business Communication subject of the Foundation Program)

Several reputed business schools (B-schools), government-run universities and Indian educational institutes also offer professional courses to clear the CA examination.

Who is Qualified To Apply for the Company Secretary Course?

Students would be required to fulfil the eligibility criteria specified by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). Two main entry routes based on a student’s academic qualification, after Class 12 or after Graduation, are offered by the CS course.

1. After Class 12 (Foundation Route via CSEET)

Students who have finished their Class 12 (10+2) in any stream (except Fine Arts) are qualified to start their CS journey through the CS Executive Entrance Test (CSEET).

Note: CSEET has replaced the earlier CS Foundation Program

2. After Graduation (Direct Entry to CS Executive)

Graduates and postgraduates in any stream (except Fine Arts) can appear in the CSEET and can register for the CS Executive Programme.

Training Structure For The Students Of the CS Course

Modified training structure for the students of the company secretaryship course effective from 01st April, 2014

The Council, with the consent of the Central Government and after complying with the due process, is issuing a Notification No. 710/1(M)/1 (1410GI/14) on 01st  April, 2014 in the Gazette of India, Part III, Section 4 (Extraordinary). The Notification has changed the Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982, to revise the training structure for the students of the Company Secretaryship course. The modified training structure shall apply to:-

(i) a student registered for the Executive Programme on or after 1st April 2014; and

(ii) a student registered to the Executive Programme on or before 31st March 2014, if (s)he opts for the modified training structure in lieu of the earlier structure.

Information on the earlier training structure and the modified training structure is as under:

Components of TrainingEarlier Training StructureModified Training Structure
Computer TrainingSeventy hoursNot Applicable
Student Induction ProgrammeSeven daysNot Applicable
Executive Development ProgrammeEight daysNot Applicable

Long-term Internship with specified entities		Fifteen months (After passing the Executive Programme)Three years of registration to the Executive Programme, or two years after passing the Executive Programme, and one year after passing the Professional Programme.
Professional Development ProgrammeTwenty-five hoursNot Applicable
Training with specialised agencyFifteen daysNot Applicable
Management Skills Orientation ProgrammeFifteen daysFifteen days

Who is a Company Secretary Exactly?

A company secretary is one of the key personnel in any company, placed at the top of the organizational hierarchy, i.e., management level and is also responsible for managing the legal, financial and statutory requirements of the company.

Some of the Important Company Secretary duties and Responsibilities Include:

In India, the profession of Company Secretary is governed and managed by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). This prestigious and reputed statutory Institute was established in 1980, under the Company Secretaries Act.

According to the Companies Act, a company secretary is “a person who is a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India,” highlighted in section 2(1)(c). A company secretary is appointed to perform the key functions of a company as per the Companies Act, which includes performing ministerial and administrative duties.

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    Why Company Secretary as a Career Option

    Having a career as a Company Secretary is an extremely rewarding career. As per the Economic Times Report 2019, large corporate firms are ready to pay salary packages up to INR 1.5 million for company secretary profiles.

    The demand for CS profiles is exponential in India due to the increasing popularity among large corporate houses, who are willing to pay more to CS personnel to manage important functions of their company.

    It is also highly anticipated that companies in India will recruit CS in heavy numbers in future to position themselves as leading corporate entities on the world map.

    A Company Secretary is a specialized individual who provides services in the following sectors:

    The following areas of Expertise are also provided by Company Secretaries in Practice:

    Popular Recruiters of CS in India

    India’s Companies Act 2013 lays down the important roles, responsibilities, duties and liability of a company secretary in India. Some of the key entities involved in the hiring of company secretaries in India include:

    How to Become a Company Secretary (CS) in India

    Stages of the CS Course Information and Career Path

    The student who wishes to join the course after 10+2 would be required to undergo 3 phases to seek the company Secretaries Course, i.e.

    The student would need to experience Practical Training for about 15 months, which a student may choose to start after passing the Executive Programme.  

    To join the course after graduation, students must go through two levels of the Company Secretaryship.

    Apart from that, the students would need to undergo practical training for nearly 15 months. 

    The Foundation Programme, lasting eight months, is available for students who have completed their 10+2 in Arts, Science, or Commerce.

    Graduates from all disciplines, excluding Fine Arts, are eligible to pursue the Executive Programme.

    The Professional Programme can only be undertaken after completing the Executive Programme of the CS Course.

    Training– The student needs to perform a 15-month management training in companies sponsored by the Institute, post passing the Executive or Professional Programme or under the direction of a Company Secretary in Practice.

    Upon passing the Professional Examination and successfully finishing their training, a candidate becomes an Associate Member of the ICSI and is permitted to use the designation ACS, which stands for Associate Company Secretary.

    Throughout the year, admission to the CS Course is open. Examinations are held twice a year in June &  December.

    #1. Foundation Course

    CS beginners in India should register for the Foundation Course. Applicants who have cleared HSC or its equivalent are required to register for the Foundation Course of ICSI under its three-year program.

    Point to Remember

    There are 4 papers in the CS  Foundation Programme

    #2. Executive Program

    Upon successful completion of the Foundation Course, ICSI selects a limited number of students to take admission in the Executive Program. Admissions are not based solely upon the candidate’s performance in the written exam.

    Points to Remember:

    There are 6 papers divided into 2  Modules in the CS  Executive Programme

    Module I

    Module II

    #3. Professional Program

    Students who pass the Executive Program move ahead into the final stage of the Company Secretary three-year professional exam. The professional Program is the toughest among all three stages as it has a very complex syllabus, which is broadly divided into three modules.

    Each module has three distinct subjects. Although the third subject needs to be chosen from a list of electives offered by ICSI.

    Points to Remember:

    There are 8 papers divided into 4 Modules in CS Professional Programme

    Module I

    Module II

    Module III

    Module IV

    Syllabus for Company Secretary Executive Program

    As per ICSI’s guidelines 2017, the CS Executive program has a total of seven subjects. All these subjects are categorised into two broad modules -Module 1 (four subjects) and Module 2 (three subjects).

    Exams for the Executive Program are generally held in the months of November and January. For accurate details about the Executive Program exam, visit the official ICSI website at https://www.icsi.edu/home/

    Cut-off Dates for Admission to the CS Course:

    For the Executive Programme31st March for appearing in the December Examination  in the same year
    30th September for the June Examination next year
    For  Executive Programme28th February for December Exams in the  same year
    31st August  for the June Exam next year

    The CS application is available at any of the Institute’s offices in cities across India.


    Cost of Prospectus for Foundation Programme    		  Rs. 250/- by Post or courier
    Rs. 200/- by cash payment while
    Cost of Prospectus for the  Executive ProgrammeRs. 300/- by cash payment while
       Rs.350/- by Post or courier

    Payment Option: The payment can be sent to the Headquarters through the demand draft drawn in favour of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India, payable at New Delhi, OR via cash across the counter from the Headquarters, Regional Offices & a few of the Chapters.  

    Understanding the Fee Structure for CS Course

    CS Foundation Programme              Rs.4500/-
    CS Executive ProgrammeRs.9000/- for Commerce Graduates
    Rs 12,500/- for CPT passed of ICAI / Foundation passed of ICAI-CMA  
    Rs 10,000/- for Non Commerce Students
    Rs 8,500/- for CS Foundation passed students
    CS Professional ProgrammeRs.12,000/- 

    The total cost of doing a Company Secretary or CS course from a recognized university in India is somewhere between INR 100,000 and INR 400,000. It also includes fees paid to ICSI and classroom training.

    Generally, the fee is paid online by candidates for the CS course. In some cases, ICSI also accepts fees in the form of bank receipts in a nationalised bank. Concessions and exemptions are available to those students who come under specific categories.

    Examination fee for the CS Course

    Last date for submission of application for appearing in the examination

    25th March (with late fee of Rs. 250/- till 9th April)

    25th September (with late fee of Rs. 250/- till 10th October)

    ICSI offices across India

    The ICSI’s main office is situated at ICSI House, 22 Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi, with regional offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and New Delhi, along with 69 chapters located across different cities in India. ICSI operates 66 examination centres throughout India and one international centre in Dubai.

    Possibilities for Employment

    Read Also: 6 Important Factors to Building a Successful Company Secretary Career

    Company secretaries in Self-employment or Practising

    The CS Course is :

    ICSI Journals

    ICSI draws the Chartered Secretary Journal for Corporate Professionals & Student Company Secretary & Foundation Programme Bulletin for students. The Chartered Secretary Journal could be subscribed to the students at a concessional rate of Rs 300, other bulletins are sent to enrolled students free of cost.

    Placement

    The institute and its offices maintain a database of the members/students 

    The Institute also helps the members and students with Placement.  

    To assist the students in getting employment, company drives are also conducted on campus.

    Vacancies for the post of Company Secretaries obtained by the Institute are placed on the ICSI Website for reference.

    Role of Company Secretary

    Behind Great Corporate Progress, there’s a strong backbone:

    The Company Secretary – From the integrated learning of numerous disciplines of law, management, finance, and corporate governance, a Company Secretary is the critical junction between the company, its:

    The Company Secretary is:

    Admission To Company Secretary Course

    Only online registrations for the Company Secretary course are accepted by ICSI through its web portal. For successful registration, you will need soft copies or scanned images of the following documents:

    CS Course in Hindi

    Most of the universities, along with the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in India, have chosen the English language as a preferred mode of instruction for offering the Company Secretary courses.

    Although with increased demand for qualified Company Secretaries from the state and central government bodies, universities in India now do offer coaching in Hindi and selected regional languages.

    ICSI Universities Recognised for CA/CS Course

    As of the writing of this article, there are around 55 ICSI-recognised and government-owned universities that offer Company Secretary courses to students in India.

    Thousands of private coaching classes are also running in India to deliver coaching for CS courses. You must enrol at these coaching centres at your sole discretion and knowledge.

    ICAI also provide online coaching through classroom studies at select locations in India for students.

    Company Secretary Salary

    According to the Payscale report, a company secretary in India gets an average of INR 3,00,000 per year as salary with a small and medium-scale enterprise. With larger organisations, this salary goes up to INR 5,00,000 per annum.

    However, when it comes to large corporate houses and multinational firms, company secretaries easily get a salary between INR 8,00,000 to INR 1.5 million per annum.

    Vision of ICSI

    To become a global leader in the development of professionals specialising in corporate governance.

    Mission of ICSI

    The mission of ICSI is to create skilled professionals to ensure effective corporate governance and stable management and to perform proactive research and development activities for the protection of the interests of all stakeholders, contributing to the public good.

    For more information, go to our website www.icsi.edu and email your queries to: info@icsi.edu or

    https://www.icsi.edu/aboutus/courses/CS_Course

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