Company Secretary

What is Company Secretary?

Company Secretary (CS) is one of the principal posts in a company. He/she act as a conscience seeker of the company. A certified Company Secretary is hired to handle the legal aspects of a firm. A CS is responsible for complete company’s tax returns, keep records, advise board of directors and ensure that the company complies with legal and statutory regulations. In India, The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is the only recognized professional body in India to develop and regulate the profession of Company Secretaries. The ICSI provides training and education to lakhs of aspiring Company Secretaries. Members. At present, there are more than 50,000 members and about 4,00,000 students on the rolls of ICSI. To be able to professionally practice Company Secretaryship, an individual has to complete three levels of training and examination, set by the ICSI.  The Institute of Company Secretaries of India provides training to candidates aspiring to pursue CS. The institute conducts its CS programmes at the three levels. On completion of the course, candidates are issued certificates.  The programmes imparted by ICSI at three levels are as follows:

• Foundation Programme
• Executive Programme
• Professional Programme

Click here to know all about ICSI exam

CS - Eligibility 

Any student who aspires to become a certified Company Secretary must fulfill the given below eligibility criteria to pursue the programme:

• Minimum qualification required to register for the first level (Foundation Programme) of Company Secretary course in Class XII pass in any stream (excluding fine arts) from a recognized university or equivalent
• The candidate who wishes to pursue CS after Graduation, will have to undergo only two levels: Executive Programme and Professional Programme
• All Graduates and Post Graduates (excluding Fine Arts) and those having passed in the Foundation examination of The ICSI, Foundation exam of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India or the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) conducted by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or of any other accountancy institution in India or abroad recognised by the Council of the Institute are exempted from passing the Foundation Programme examination

CS - Entrance Exams 

• Admission to ICSI’s Company Secretary programme is open throughout the year. The exams are conducted bi-annually in June and December. Aspiring candidates can apply according their choice of exam month.
• Those who wish to appear for Foundation Programme examination in December (same year) must get themselves enrolled by March 31; and those who wish to appear in June exam next year must enroll themselves by September 30.
• Those who wish to join CS from Executive Programme level, must get themselves enrolled by February 28 for appearing in both modules in December exam in the same year; or by August 31 for appearing in both modules in June exam next year.
• In case one wants to appear in single module in June Examination in the next year; they must enroll themselves in Executive Programme by November 30.
• A candidate is declared to have passed the Foundation / Executive / Professional examination, if he/she secures at one sitting a minimum of 40% marks in each paper and 50% marks in the aggregate of all subjects.

CS Skillset 

This is a job that requires perseverance, mental strength and strong convincing power. Some of the desirable skillset for this job are mentioned below:

Skillset for Company Secretary Aspirant
Strong communication skills	Expertise in Company Law
Time management & multi-tasking	Command over written and spoken English
Competent with numbers	Meticulous planner

Company Secretary Courses & Specialisation 

This course is a corporate professional course. The foundation course involves business environment, entrepreneurship, management, communication, ethics, economics and accounting. The CS executive programme comprises company law, commercial law, tax law, general law, securities law and accounts & audit practice. In the final level, candidates are taught regarding secretarial practices, financial & treasury management.In the final module of the programme, candidates can choose one specialisation - Banking Law and Practice, Capital, Commodity and Money Market, Insurance Law and Practice, Intellectual Property Rights – Law and Practice, International Business-Laws and Practices

CS Fee Structure 

The CS Course Fee Structure as given below. Foundation Programme:

• The Admission Fee is Rs. 1200
• The Tuition Fee is Rs. 2400
• The Total Fees for CS Foundation Programme is  Rs.3600

Executive Programme:

• The Registration Fee is Rs. 1500
• The Foundation Examination Exemption Fee is Rs. 500
• The Tuition Fee is Rs. 5000
• The Total Fees for CS Executive Programme is  RS. 7000

Professional Programme:

• The Registration  Fee is  Rs. 1500
• The Exemption from Foundation Examination Fee = Rs. 500
• The Exemption from the Executive Programme Examination Fee is Rs. 500
• The Tuition Fee is Rs. 9500
• The Total Fees for CS Professional Programme is 12000

Examination Form Fee is listed below:

• Foundation Programme is Rs. 875
• Executive Programme Per Module is Rs. 900
•  Professional Programme Per Module is Rs. 750

CS Subjects 

The Foundation Programme has four papers; Executive Programme has eight papers divided into two modules and Professional Programme has 9 papers divided into three modules. Foundation Programme Papers:

Business Environment and Law

Business Management, Ethics and Entrepreneurship

Business Economics

Fundamentals of Accounting and Auditing

Executive Programme Papers

Module I	Module II
Jurisprudence, Interpretation & General Laws	Corporate & Management Accounting
Company Law	Securities Laws & Capital Markets
Setting up of Business Entities and Closure	Economic, Business and Commercial Laws
Tax Laws	Financial & Strategic Management

Professional Programme Papers (syllabus – w.e.f. September 1, 2013):

Module I	Module II	Module III
Advanced Company Law & Practice	Information Technology & Systems Audit	Advanced Tax Law & Practice
Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management and Due Dilligence	Financial Treasury & Forex Management	Drafting, Appearances & Pleadings
Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency	Ethics, Governance & Sustainability	Elective, one out of the five given below: Banking Law & Practice Capital, Commodity & Money Market Insurance Law & Practice Intellectual Property Rights-Law & Practice International Business-Laws & Practices

 Professional Programme (NEW SYLLABUS – w.e.f. September 1, 2018):

Module I	Module II	Module III
Governance, Risk Management, Compliance & Ethics	Secretarial Audit	Corporate Funding & Listings in Stock Exchanges
Advanced Tax Laws	Corporate Restructuring	Multidisciplinary Case Studies
Drafting, Pleadings & Appearances	Resolution of Corporate Disputes	Elective, one out of the eight given below: Banking Law & Practice Insurance Law & Practice Intellectual Property Rights-Laws and Practices Forensic Audit Direct Tax Law & Practice Labour Laws & Practice Valuation & Business Modelling Insolvency – Law & Practice

CS Career Prospects and Opportunities 

CS professionals have bright future. It is one of the powered and prestigious job profiles. Candidates after completing the course get chance to work in stock exchange, company affairs department, law board and various government departments. Company Secretary Course opens various avenues for an individual in the world of business and finance. A trained and certified Company Secretary can work as an independent advisor to a firm for procedures of loans, taxes, partnerships, government licenses, registrations, etc. or join a company secretary firm to render services to its clients. Key responsibilities of a Company Secretary includes:

• To keep the company's records; maintain company's tax returns; advise the Board of Directors of their legal obligations for compliance with statutory legislation
• A Company Secretary is an important link between the company and its Board of Directors, shareholders, regulatory authorities, government and other stake holders.
• The job includes ensuring that Board procedures are followed and regularly reviewed; and providing guidance to Chairman and the Directors on their responsibilities under various laws.
• Advising on good governance and compliance of norms as prescribed under various Corporate, Securities and other Business laws and regulations and guidelines made thereunder.
• Company Secretary also assists in developing a corporate and social sustainability framework.
• Company Secretary is responsible for secretarial compliance audit and certification services and representing the company on before the law board, consumer forums, tax tribunals, securities appellate tribunal, registrars etc.
• Advising on arbitration, negotiation and conciliation in commercial disputes between the parties and drafting agreement
• Advisory services to companies on tax management and tax planning under Income Tax, Excise and Customs laws, Service Tax and VAT etc.
• Providing advice in issues of shares and other securities in India and abroad.
• Drafting of prospectus/offer for sale/letter of offer/other documents related to issue of securities and obtaining various approvals in association with lead managers.

Company Secretary as an independent professional can render services in the following areas:

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

CS Job Profiles & Recruiters 

Like, Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries are also a necessity of all business enterprises, whether big or small, government or private. Every business requires company secretary to take care of tax, legal and investment aspects on regular basis. Many companies hire independent company secretaries; while others opt for services offered by Company Secretary firms. A qualified company secretary will find employment across all industries, from financial firms and banks to heavy industry as well as government organisations. Job Profiles: The profiles that candidates get after completing the course are given below:

• Assistance to the Board of Directors
• Company Registrar
• Legal Advisor
• Corporate Policymaker
• Chief Administrative Officer
• Principal Secretary
• Corporate Planner
• Chairman
• Managing Director
• Administrative Assistant
• Administrative Secretary
• Investor Capital Market Relations
• Contents Coordinator

Recruiters: We have listed a few companies, which hire company secretaries on a regular basis.

Top Recruiters for Company Secretaries
ACB Group of Companies	Punjab National Bank
Monolith Industries Limited	Shri Lal Mahal Ltd
GlocaL Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd	Parsvnath Infra ltd
Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Limited	Janalakshmi Financial Services Pvt Ltd
Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited	DaVita Care (India) Pvt Limited
Jaypee Group	SNG & Partners (Law Firm)
Heinz India Pvt Ltd	Birla Corporation Ltd
Omaxe Ltd	BGM Consortium Ltd
Karur Vysya Bank Limited	OIL India Limited
BESTECH India Pvt Ltd	HCL Technologies Limited

FAQs related to Company Secretary Courses

Q. What are the courses for CS?

A. There are four core subjects in the Company Secretary Foundation Program. The Executive program follows two core modules. There are three core modules in the Company Secretary Professional Program.

Q. Is CS a good career option?

A. Yes, it is definately a good career option for long term. 

Q. What is the fees for CS Course?

A. The fee structure of CS course is given on this page. 

Q. Is CS tough? p id="faq_a4">A. In CS mostly papers are theoretical which makes it most difficult course for some students. If prepared well candidates can definately crack the exam. Q. Is Maths compulsory for CS? 

A. No, maths is not compulsory for CS. 

Q. Is there any age limit to pursue CS course?

A. No, there is no age limit to pursue the course. 

Q. How many attempts are allowed for CS programme?

A. For CS executive, 10 attempts are allowed. For CS Foundation programme, 6 attempts are allowed while 10 attempts are allowed for CS profession programme. 

Q. How can I become CS after BCom?

A. Candidates pursuing BCom course can take a direct admission to the CS Executive course. You are not required to give a CS Foundation exam. 

Q. Can CS and CA pursued together?

A. Candidates cannot pursue CS and CA courses together. 

Q. How can I get exemption in CS Executive programme?

A. A candidate who obtains more than 60% of marks in any paper or papers and a minimum of 25% of marks in all the remaining papers of that module in which he has appeared shall be exempted from appearing in that paper in the subsequent examinations.

Q. How many years is Company Secretary course?

A. The course is for three years. 

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