A Company Secretary (CS) is one of the most important positions in a business. A certified Company Secretary is in charge of a company’s or an individual’s legal affairs. A CS is in charge of keeping records, maintaining and auditing the company’s tax returns, advising the board of directors on the company’s financial health, and ensuring compliance with legal and statutory regulations.
To be able to practice Company Secretaryship professionally, an individual must complete professional training and pass examinations. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India regulates and upholds the profession of Company Secretaries. The ICSI trains and educates thousands of aspiring Company Secretaries. ICSI currently has over 50,000 members and 4,00,000 students on its rolls.
Candidates interested in pursuing CS can get training from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. The CS program is available at three levels at the institute. Candidates who complete all three levels are issued certificates allowing them to practice Company Secretaryship as a profession. Many institutes in India provide CS courses.
Table of Contents
The CS course offered by the ICSI includes three levels:
- 1. The Foundation Program (Now replaced with CS Executive Entrance Test or CSEET)
- 2. Executive Programme
- 3. Professional Programme
The eligibility criteria to become a certified Company Secretary are as follows:
- 1. A Class 12 pass in any stream (excluding Fine Arts) from a recognized university or equivalent is required to register for the first level (Foundation Program or CSEET) of the Company Secretary course.
- 2. Candidates who want to pursue CS after graduation will only need to complete two levels: the Executive Program and the Professional Program.
- 3. Those who have completed their graduation, post-graduation (excluding Fine Arts), or have passed the Foundation level of the CA and Cost Accounting courses offered by ICWAI can apply for direct admission to the CS Executive level.
Company Secretary Exams:
- 1. Admission to the ICSI Company Secretary program is open all year. Exams are administered twice a year, in June and December. Aspiring candidates can apply based on their preferred exam month.
- 2. Those who wish to take the Foundation Program examination in December (the same year) must enroll by March 31; those who wish to take the exam in June the following year must enroll by September 30.
- 3. Those wishing to join CS at the Executive Program level must enroll by February 28 in order to take both modules in the December exam the same year, or by August 31 in order to take both modules in the June exam the following year.
- 4. If a student wishes to take a single module in the June Examination the following year, they must enroll in the Executive Program by November 30.
- 5. A candidate is declared to have passed the Foundation / Executive / Professional examination if he or she obtains a minimum of 40% in aggregate in each paper and 50% in aggregate in all subjects in a single sitting.
Some of the skillsets required for becoming a Company Secretary (CS) are as follows:
- 1. Strong Communication Skills
- 2. Expertise in Company Law
- 3. Time Management & Multitasking
- 4. Command over Written and Spoken English
- 5. Analytical Skills
- 6. Strong Numerical Skills
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Company Secretary Courses, Subjects, and Specializations:
The Company Secretary Foundation course covers topics such as the business environment, entrepreneurship, management, communication, ethics, economics, and accounting. Company law, commercial law, tax law, general law, securities law, and accounting and audit practice are all covered in the syllabus for the Company Secretary Executive.
Company Secretary Final course candidates learn secretarial practices as well as financial and treasury management. In the final module, candidates can choose one of the following specializations:
- 1. Banking Law and Practice.
- 2. Capital, Commodity, and Money Market.
- 3. Insurance Law and Practice.
- 4. Law and Practice of Intellectual Property Rights.
- 5. International Business Laws and Practice.
The Foundation program consists of four papers, while the Executive program consists of eight papers divided into two modules, and the Professional program consists of nine papers divided into three modules.
Company Secretary (CS) Course Syllabus
CS Foundation Program:
- 1. Business Environment and Law
- 2. Business Management, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship
- 3. Business Economics
- 4. Fundamentals of Accounting and Auditing
CS Executive Program:
Module 1:
- 1. Jurisprudence, Interpretation & General Laws
- 2. Company Law
- 3. Establishment of Business Entities and Closure
- 4. Tax Laws
Module 2:
- 1. Corporate & Management Accounting
- 2. Securities Laws & Capital Markets
- 3. Economic, Business, and Commercial Laws
- 4. Financial & Strategic Management
CS Professional Program:
Module 1:
- 1. Governance, Risk Management, Compliances, and Ethics
- 2. Advanced Tax Law
- 3. Drafting, Pleadings, and Appearances
Module 2:
- 1. Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management, and Due Diligence.
- 2. Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency, Liquidation & Winding-up
- 3. Corporate Dispute Resolution, Non-Compliances, and Remedies
Module 3:
- 1. Corporate Financing and Stock Exchange Listings
- 2. Case Studies from Various Disciplines (The exam for this paper will be an open-book exam.)
- 3. Electives: 1 paper from the following 8 papers
- Banking – Law & Practice
- Insurance – Law & Practice
- Intellectual Property Rights – Laws and Practices
- Forensic Audit
- Direct Tax Law & Practice
- Labour Laws & Practice
- Valuations & Business Modelling
- Insolvency – Law, and Practice
Company Secretary (CS) course Fee Structure:
The fee for each level of the Company Secretary course is different and must be paid at the time of registration. Aside from the course fee, candidates must also pay the CS exam fee. The following is the fee structure for the CS Course:
Company Secretary (CS) Executive Entrance Test Fees:
| Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test Fees | INR 1,000 per appearance |
The fee concession for the candidates giving Company Secretary (CS) Executive Entrance Test based on category are as follows:
| Category | Fee Concession |
| Students from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories | 100% |
| Northeastern states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Himachal Pradesh students | 50% |
| MCA and affiliated offices’ ICLS officers/officers and staff (NCLT, SFIO and CCI) | 100% |
| ICSI Staff and Wards / ICSI Staff Spouse | 75% |
| Personnel in the Defense Services and Paramilitary Forces who are currently serving or have retired | 50% |
| Martyrs’ wards and widows, as well as Defense Service Personnel with Permanent Disability | 100% |
| Physically Handicapped | 50% |
| SC/ST | 50% |
CS Executive Course Fees:
| Particulars | CS Executive Entrance Test | CS Foundation Programme | The final course of ICAI | The final course of ICMAI |
| Chartered Secretary Journal Subscription (Optional) for one year | INR 500 | INR 500 | INR 500 | INR 500 |
| One Day Orientation Program | INR 600 | INR 600 | INR 600 | INR 600 |
| Pre-Exam Test Fee | INR1,000 | INR1,000 | INR1,000 | INR1,000 |
| CSEET Exemption Fee | Nil | Nil | INR 5,000 | INR 5,000 |
| Education Fee | INR 6,500 | INR 6,500 | INR 6,500 | INR 6,500 |
| Registration fee | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 |
The fees for Professional courses for CS after completing the executive program are given below:
| Particulars | Fees |
| Education Fee | INR 12,000 |
| Pre-Exam Test Fee | INR 1,000 |
| Total Fees | INR 13,000 |
The Company Secretary Course examination fee is given below:
| CS Programme | Examination Fee |
| Executive | INR 1,200 per module |
| Professional | INR 1,200 per module |
Some of the key responsibilities of a Company Secretary (CS) are as follows:
- 1. To keep the company’s records, file tax returns, and advise the Board of Directors on their legal responsibilities for statutory compliance.
- 2. A Company Secretary serves as a vital link between the company and its board of directors, shareholders, regulatory agencies, the government, and other stakeholders.
- 3. The job entails ensuring that procedures are followed and that they are reviewed on a regular basis. It also includes advising the Chairman and the Board of Directors on their legal responsibilities.
- 4. Advising on good governance and compliance with norms outlined in various Corporate, Securities, and other Business Laws, as well as the regulations and guidelines promulgated thereunder.
- 5. The Company Secretary also contributes to the development of a corporate and social sustainability framework.
- 6. The Company Secretary is in charge of secretarial compliance auditing and certification services, as well as representing the company before the law board, consumer forums, tax tribunals, securities appellate tribunals, registrars, and other regulatory bodies.
- 7. Advising on arbitration, negotiation, and conciliation in commercial disputes between parties, as well as agreement drafting
- 8. Tax management and tax planning advice to businesses under Income Tax, Excise and Customs laws, Service Tax and VAT, and so on.
- 9. Advising on share and other securities issues in India and abroad.
- 10. In collaboration with lead managers, draught prospectus/offer for sale/letter of offer/other documents related to the issuance of securities and obtain various approvals.
A Company Secretary can render service in the following areas:
- 1. Legal, Secretarial and Corporate Governance
- 2. Corporate Restructuring
- 3. Foreign Collaborations and Joint Ventures
- 4. Arbitration and Conciliation
- 5. Financial Management
- 6. Project Planning
- 7. Capital Market and Investor Relations
- 8. Due Diligence
- 9. Corporate Advisory Services
Some of the Company Secretary Job profiles are as follows:
- 1. Assistance to the Board of Directors
- 2. Company Registrar
- 3. Legal Advisor
- 4. Corporate Policymaker
- 5. Chief Administrative Officer
- 6. Principal Secretary
- 7. Corporate Planner
- 8. Chairman
- 9. Managing Director
- 10. Administrative Assistant
- 11. Administrative Secretary
- 12. Investor Capital Market Relations
- 13. Contents Coordinator
Some of the top recruiters for Company Secretaries are as follows:
- 1. ACB Group of Companies
- 2. Monolith Industries Limited
- 3. GlocaL Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd.
- 4. Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd.
- 5. Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd.
- 6. Jaypee Group
- 7. Heinz India Pvt Ltd.
- 8. Omaxe Ltd.
- 9. Karur Vysya Bank Ltd.
- 10. BESTECH India Pvt Ltd
Conclusion
In the above article, we have learned about the CS course and Company Secretary (CS) job profile in detail. Individuals can pursue a variety of career paths after completing the Company Secretary course. A trained and certified Company Secretary can work as an independent advisor to a firm for loans, taxes, partnerships, government licenses, registrations, and other procedures, or they can join a company secretary firm to provide services to their clients.
A Company Secretary, like a Chartered Accountant, is an essential pillar of any business, large or small, public or private. Every company needs a Company Secretary to handle tax, legal, and investment matters on a regular basis. A qualified company secretary can find work in any industry, from financial firms and banks to heavy industry and government organizations.
FAQs related to Company Secretary (CS) course:
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What are the levels of CS courses?
There are three levels of the CS course: Foundation, Executive, and Professional. The Company Secretary Foundation course consists of four core subjects. The Executive program consists of two core modules, while the Company Secretary Professional level consists of three modules.
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Is Company Secretary a viable career path?
Yes, computer science is a viable career path. A certified CS can work for finance, accounting, and auditing firms that provide services to large organizations and multinational corporations, or they can set up their own practice.
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Is the CS course difficult?
The papers in the Company Secretary course are mostly theoretical, making it a difficult and time-consuming course for some students. Candidates can pass CS exams with consistent and dedicated study.
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Is Math required for the CS course?
Papers in the Company Secretary course are mostly theoretical, which can be difficult for some students. CS preparation necessitates dedicated study and long-term planning, but well-prepared candidates can easily pass the exam.
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Is there an age limit for taking a CS course?
No, there is no upper age limit for enrolling in the Company Secretary program. Any candidate can start the course whenever they want – after high school, after graduation, or even after gaining work experience in the same field.
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How many CS program attempts are permitted?
Six attempts are permitted for the Company Secretary Foundation program, while ten attempts (at both levels) are permitted for the CS Executive and CS Professional programs.
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How do I go from B Com to CS?
Candidates who have completed the B Com program are eligible for direct admission to the CS Executive program. Such candidates must pass the Executive and Professional levels to obtain CS certification. They are not required to take the CS Foundation exam.
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Can CS and CA be pursued concurrently?
Candidates cannot pursue both CS and CA courses concurrently. Candidates must, however, pursue only one course at a time because both are extremely demanding and time-consuming.
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How can I obtain an exemption from the CS Executive program?
A candidate who receives more than 60% in any paper or papers and a minimum of 25% in all remaining papers of that module in which he/she has appeared is exempted from taking that paper in subsequent examinations.
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How long is the CS course?
The program lasts three years. The CS course is divided into three levels:
1. The Foundation Program
2. Executive Development Program
3. Professional Development Program -
What is CS’s salary?
The starting salary for a Company Secretary is INR 3 lakh per year, with a mid-level entry salary of INR 6 lakh per year. As one gains more experience and more clients, one’s income grows.
