Company Secretary (CS)

Company Secretary (CS) is one of the principal posts in a company. A certified Company Secretary handles the legal aspects of a business enterprise or an individual. A CS is responsible for maintaining and auditing the company’s tax returns, keeping records, advising the board of directors regarding the financial health of the company and ensuring that the company complies with legal and statutory regulations. To be able to professionally practice Company Secretary ship, an individual has to complete professional training and pass examinations.

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India regulates and maintains the profession of Company Secretaries. The ICSI provides training and education to lakhs of aspiring Company Secretaries. At present, there are more than 50,000 members and about 4,00,000 students on the rolls of ICSI.

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India provides training to candidates aspiring to pursue CS. The institute conducts the CS programme at three levels. On completion of all these three levels, candidates are issued certificate to practice Company Secretary ship as a profession.

The CS programme offered by the ICSI includes three levels:

• Foundation Programme (Now replaced with CS Executive Entrance Test or CSEET)

• Executive Programme

• Professional Programme