Up to 1,000 students have rejoined the company secretary examination process since the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) announced the amnesty scheme in January 2026, national president Pawan Chandak said on Saturday at the 27th national conference of practising company secretaries held in Pune.
Background and Purpose of the Scheme
Chandak explained that many students had to leave the course midway due to financial difficulties or other employment opportunities. After settling in their careers, many dropouts feel they now have the means to complete the course. The initiative was started keeping such aspirants in mind.
Scheme Details and Extension
The scheme is operational until June 30, and the ICSI council meeting scheduled in July will likely extend it, Chandak said. Returning students will not have to start all over again but can join the corresponding level. High-scoring students will also continue to receive certain exemptions after they rejoin the course.
Shortage of Company Secretaries
Chandak highlighted a lack of talented company secretaries in the industry. Since the course started in 1967, there are merely 80,800 company secretaries in India, compared to 16 lakh registered companies that require professionals to handle their compliance burden. Of the total company secretary members, there are roughly 17,000 professionals in Maharashtra and 25,000 in the western region.
Course Structure
The company secretary course is structured in CSEET (CS Executive Entrance Test) for students who have completed class 12, followed by the executive programme. Students can join the executive programme directly after graduation. The professional programme is the final stage, after which students receive ICSI membership and permission to practise or join a corporate.
Collectively, these levels aim to develop competent company secretaries capable of ensuring legal compliance, advising boards of directors, managing stakeholder relations, and upholding high standards of corporate governance in an increasingly complex business environment.
Examination Schedule and Pass Rates
The entrance exam is conducted in February, June, and October, while executive and professional programme exams are conducted in June and December. The pass percentage out of total students appearing in the professional programme is around 10%, while it is 25% to 50% in executive and entrance levels. Around 5,000 students clear the final stage exam each year, compared to 40,000 to 45,000 aspirants, Chandak said.
