In the corporate world, corporate governance is a vital aspect which determines the overall success of a business establishment. The current growth in the corporate domain has opened up new vistas and necessitated the introduction of a whole new range of economic activities. This has led to various amendments and notifications incorporating various rules and regulations which lie within the professional ambit of a Company Secretary (CS). This also has resulted in a greater demand for Company Secretaries.
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Thus, the profession is highly respected as well as lucrative. It has vast opportunities for expansion, especially after the legal requirement notified by Government that every company having a paid-up share capital of not less than Rs. 50 lakh must appoint a Company Secretary and the number of such companies is rising fast. Also, all companies seeking listing on stock exchange are required to have a whole-time qualified Company Secretary. Now even many small companies are engaging Company Secretaries in their own interest.
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Company Secretaryship has become by far one of the most prestigious and powerful professions in the context of increasing professionalisation of corporate managements. A company Secretary is a vital link between the shareholders, the company, the Board of Directors and the Government and as such he holds a pivotal position in a company. With emphasis on self regulation in the present day liberalised regimes, the role of Company Secretary has assumed greater importance. Apart from various functions in finance, accounts, legal, administrative and personnel areas hitherto tried out Company Secretaries are now also called upon to act as corporate development planners, besides arranging foreign collaborations, acquisitions, takeovers, etc., as also winding up of companies, sick or otherwise, in addition to discharging their own secretarial duties, There is a vast scope for specialisation in Company Secretaryship in view of shortage of skilled professionals in areas like Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), labour, banking and taxation. Further, before any merger takes place, the company has to go through a 'due diligence' process. This process involves a thorough assessment of the state of the company and a CS is the most appropriately qualified professional to carrfy out such a function for the corporates and consultants. Another area which is gaining currency these days is the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), which falls within the area of expertise of a Company Secretary.
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Eligibility...
To be eligible for appearing in the Foundation or the Intermediate Course, you must register with the ICSI at least eight months in adgvance for the CS course. Admission to the course is open throughout the year. Examinations are held twice a year (JUNE & DECEMBER). There are more than 50 exams centres spread across the country. The overseas centre is located in Dubai. To qualify as a CS you have to clear five papers in foundation exam, eight in intermediate and nine in final examination.
***Courses...
In keeping with the changing patterns of the world economy and business, the curriculum of the CS program has been revised recently. The new look syllabus includes topics like English, Business Communication, Basic Economics and Business Environment, Financial Accounting, General and Commercial Law, Company Accounts, Cost and Management Accounting, Company Law, Management, Information Systems and Corporate Communications, Company Secretarial Practice relating to economic laws and drafting, Corporate Restructuring--law and practice, Banking and Insurance--law and practice, World Trade Organisation--International Trade, Joint Ventures and Foreign Collaborations, Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations.
***The ICSI offers Foundation Course for 10+2 passed candidates.Its aim is to enable 10+2 pass candidates aspiring to take up Company Secretary profession as their air in life. Only such candidates who have got themselves registered with ICSI and have satisfactorily completed the compulsory postal ICSI coaching through distance education are eligible to appear in this course. In addition to this, the students have the option to attend coaching classes organised by ICSI through its officers all over India. A student has to successfully complete postal or oral coaching to be eligible for admission to Foundation Course as prescribed under the Company Secretary Regulations 1982. The ICSI, headquartered at New Delhi, has 4 Regional Offices at Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai as also 37 chapters located in various cities in India.
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The 8-month Foundation Course, aimed at attracting talented students to the profession at an early stage, is open for 10+2 pass students from any stream, viz., Humanities/Science/Commerce excluding Fine Arts. There is no minimum percentage of marks. Admission to the course is open throughout the year and examinations are held in June & December. The Subjects of Foundation Course are :
1) Business Economics & Business Environment,
2) Financial Accounting,
3) Information System and Quantitative Techniques,
4) Elements of Business Laws & Management, and of course
5) English & Business Communication.
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A minimum of 40% marks in each subject and an aggregate of 50% in all subjects in one sitting is must for qualifying in the exam. the medium of writing the exam is either English or Hindi. However, the ICSI provides study material for postal coaching in English only.
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After clearing the Foundation Course, the candidate can take the Intermediate and later, Final examination of Company Secretaryship. Graduates in any discipline (other than from Fine Arts) are exempted from taking Foundation Course and can seek direct admission to Intermediate Course.
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PROSPECTS...
The placement of its successfull students is facilitated by ICSI. A meritorious student of CS, now-a-days starts with a monthly salary of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000. Generally speaking, one can get at least Rs. 10,000 per month. But in the first five years, a CS should not really focus on salary but try to develop a good work profile.
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INSTITUTES
HEAD OFFICE:
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India..
ICSI House, 22, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi-110003.
Website - http://www.icsi.edu/
The Institute has four Regional Councils located in Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western regions each having several chapters under its jurisdiction.
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EASTERN REGION
ICSI-EIRC House, 3-A, Ahiripukur, 1st Lane, Near Beck Nursing Home, Kolkata-700019
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Chapters under Eastern Region, BHUBANESWAR
Plot No. 676 (Near Maharishi College of National Law), Saheed Nagar, Bhubaneswar-751007.
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GUWAHATI (NORTH EAST)
"Satyadip", Dr. S.K. Bhuyan Road, Dighalipukhuri East, Guwahati-781001
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JAMSHEDPUR
C/o Tata Yodogawa Ltd.,
XLRI Campus, Circuit House Area (E), Jamshedpur-831001.
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PATNA
H/o Shri Gopal Prasad Singh, Rajapurpul, Near River View Petrol Pump, Dujra, Patna-8000001.
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RANCHI
445, Pee Pee Compound, Ranchi-834001
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Northern Region
ICSI-NIRC BUILDING, Plot No. 4, Prasad Nagar Institutional Area, Rajendra Place, New Delhi-110005
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Chapters under Northern Region
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AGRA
B-623, Kamla Nagar, Agra-282004
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AJMER (SATELLITE)
381, Naya Bazar, Ajmer-305001
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ALLAHABAD (SATELLITE)
53 F, Meerapur, Allahabad-211003
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AMRITSAR (SATELLITE)
Share Plaza, 3, MM Malaviya Road, Near Adarsh Cinema, Amritsar.
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BAREILLY (SATELLITE)
C-59, Butler Plaza, Civil Lines, Bareilly.
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BEAWAR (SATELLITE)
Hotel Vikrant, Near Old Bus Stand, Sampurnanand Marg, Beawar-305901.
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BHILWARA (SATELLITE)
10/54, Amar Bhawan, Punjabi Gali, Bhopal Ganj, Bilwara-311001.
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CHANDIGARH
GGDSD College, Sector-32-C, Chandigarh.
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DEHRADUN (SATELLITE)
12 Dronpuri, General Mahadev, Singh Road, Dehradun-248001.
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FARIDABAD
948, Sector-16, Faridabad-121007.
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GAZIABADC
B-23, Nehru Apartment, Nehru Nagar, Near Nasirpur Railway Crossing, Ghaziabad-201001
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GURGAON
C/o Alpine Convent School, Behind Government Girls College, Sector 15, Part II Gurgaon-122001.
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JAIPUR
ICSI House, A-5/A Institutional Area, Jhalana Doongri, Jaipur-302004.
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JALANDHAR (SATELLITE)
Raj Chambers, Hind Samachar Street, Jalandhar.
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JAMMU (SATELLITE)
204, 2nd Floor, 204, South Block, Rail Head Complex, Jammu.
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JODHPUR (SATELLITE)
C/o SS Surana & Co., Rai Bahadur Plaza, Jodhpur-342001.
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KANPUR
118/90 "Gumti Plaza", Kanpur-208012.
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KARNAL-PANIPAT (SATELLITE)
7, Ibrahim Mandi, Near Liberty, Karnal-132001.
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LUCKNOW
C/o Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Near Meena Market, A Block, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016.
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LUDHIANA
SCO-11B, 2nd Floor, Gurudwara, Shaheedan Pheruman, G T Road, Near Dholewal Chowk, Ludiana-141003.
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MEERUT
111, Hari Priya Shivaji Road, Meerut-250001.
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MODINAGAR
Above Lords Tailor, Ist Floor, Gurudwara Road, Near Janata Band, Modinagar-201204.
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NOIDA
C-262 Salora Vihar, Plot No. C 58/12, Sector 62, Noida-201301
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SHIMLA
C/o Shri PSR Murthy, Company Secretary, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd., HIMFED Building, New Shimla-171009.
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UDAIPUR
C/o Company Secretary, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Yashad Bhawan, Udaipur-313003.
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VARANASI (SATELLITE)
C/o Sushil Kumar Kandoi, F Block, 2nd Floor, Gurukripa Colony, Nadesar, Varanasi-221002.
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YAMUNA NAGAR (SATELLITE)
368/14, Gopindpuri Road, Professor Colony, Yamuna Nagar-135001
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Southern Region..
ICSI-SIRC House, Old No. 4, New No. 9, Wheat Crofts Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai-600034.
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Chapters under Southern Region
BANGALORE
Sheriff Chamber, III Floor, Rear Block, 14 Cunningham Road, Bengaluru
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CALICUT (SATELLITE)
Ist Floor, 'SHANTH', Wayanad Road, Calicut-673001.
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KOCHI
Door No. 25, Mather Square, 2nd Floor, (opp. North Railway Station), Kochi-682018.
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COIMBATORE
217, New Scheme Road, Pappananickenpalayam, Coimbatore-641037.
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HUBLI-DHARWAD (SATELLITE)
No. 10, First Floor, Maruthi Complex, Line Bazar, Dharwad-580001.
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HYDERABAD
(An ISO 9001:2000 Chapter), D.No. 6-3-609/5, Anand Nagar, Khairatabad, Hyderabad-500004.
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KOTTAYAM (SATELLITE)
Bldg No. XI/333, Pattaseril, Eranjal Road, Kottayam-686004.
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MADURAI
IC-3, III Floor, A.R. Plaza, 16/17 North Veli Street, Madurai.
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MANGALORE
Grace Towers, II Floor, Bejai, Mangalore-575004.
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MYSORE
Behind Swami Vivekananda Hall, Mahajana Pre-University College Premises, Jayalakshmipuram, Mysore.
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PONDICHERRY
No.5, II Main Road, 5th Cross, Rajaji Nagar, Lawspet, Puducherry.
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SALEM (SATELLITE)
62 Vaniga Valagam, Salem Corporation, Salem-636004.
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Utsavamadom Buildings Fort, Thiruvananthapuram-695023.
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THRISSUR (SATELLITE)
Revathi Complex, 2nd Floor, Civil Lines Road, West Fort, Pithole P.O., Thrissur-680004.
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TIRUCHIRAPALLI
34A, Promenade Road, Cantonment, Tiruchirapalli-620001.
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VIJAYAWADA (SATELLITE)
ICWAI Bhawan, D.No. 58-6-14, Karanamgari Street, Patamata, Vijayawada-520010.
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VISAKAPATNAM
48-3-3, 1st Floor, Street of BVK College, Srinagar, Visakhapatnam-530016.
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Western Region
ICSI-WIRC House, 13 Jolly Maker Chambers, No. II (Ist Floor), Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021.
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Chapters under Western Region
AHMEDABAD ICSI
Maneklal Mills Complex, S-2, B Tower Chinubhai Towers, Opp. Handloom House, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad-380009.
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AURANGABAD (SATELLITE)
C/o Nilayam 29, Vishvakarma Coop. Hsg. Society, CIDCO, N-8, E-Sector, Aurangabad-431003.
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BHOPAL
148, 2nd Floor, Anchor Manson, M P Nagar Zone-II, Bhopal-462011.
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DOMBIVLI
Satchidanand Society (Ground Floor), Tilak Road, Near Old Post Office, Dombivli (East)-421201.
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GOA
"Indraprastha" (6th Floor), Menezes Braganza Road, Panjim-403001.
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GWALIOR (SATELLITE)
1st Floor, Govind Kunj, Sanjay Complex, Jayendra Ganj, Gwalior-474009.
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INDORE
B/1-2-2 Ashray Apartment, 2/1 Manoramganj, Indore-452001.
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NAGPUR
276 Crystal Plaza, Central Bazar Road, Ramdaspeth Lokmat Square, Nagpur-440010.
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NASHIK (SATELLITE)
2nd Floor, Prasanna Archade, Old Agra Road, Nashik-422002.
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NAVI MUMBAI
Sai Chambers, 20/3rd Floor, Sec-11, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614.
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PUNE
23 Mukund Nagar, Corner of Lane No. 1, Above Dr Joshi Hospital, Gupte Market, Pune-411037.
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RAIPUR
C/o Agrawal Mahendra & Co., 224 Rishabh Complex, M G Road, Raipur-492001.
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RAJKOT
513, Star Plaza, Opp. Hotel Ravi Phulchhab Chowk, Rajkot-360001.
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SURAT
B-209, Tirupati Plaza, Near Collectors Office, Athwagate, Surat-395001.
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THANE
Building No. 41 A, Flat No 1, Brindavan, Vaishali CHSL, Brindavan Society, Thane (W)-400061.
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VADODARA
Office No.1 (2nd Floor), Stop-N-Shop Plaza, Offtel Tower-II, R C Dutt Road, Vadodara-390007.
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CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESEARCH & TRAINING (CCRT)
Plot No. 101, Sector 15, Institutional Area, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614.
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