Updated on: Wednesday, October 03, 2012
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has launched its top goals for the next few years.
It includes the development of a cadre of competent professionals, improving infrastructure, making ICSI the best institute, providing best training to students, enhancing placement opportunities, enhancing financial resources and providing leadership on global map.
Stating that students are the life line of the Institute and the profession, Nesar Ahmad, President of ICSI said "besides strengthening the existing infrastructure for rendering value added services and support to students, we need to focus on budding professionals. It is in this direction the Institute has introduced a new syllabus for CS Foundation Programme (Stage I) with effect from 1st February 2012. The CS Foundation programme consists of four papers viz., Business Environment and Entrepreneurship; Business Management, Ethics and Communication; Business Economics; Fundamentals of Accounting and Auditing.
"Under the new syllabus, Optical Marks Recognition (OMR) based examination (Objective type multiple choice questions) would be conducted for the Foundation Programme. Students are eligible to appear in the examination on the basis of self study. The requirement of coaching completion certificate has been discontinued for Foundation Programme Students. Students registration under the new syllabus of Foundation Programme is effective from 1st February, 2012 and the first examination under this new syllabus will be held from December 2012 session of CS examinations," he said.
The Council of the Institute has constituted the Board of Studies towards further development of syllabus. The Board has also finalised a draft syllabus for Executive Programme (stage II) and professional Programme (stage III) examinations, based on the views received from stakeholders.
The Board of Studies will also review the syllabus regularly to meet the expectations of industry. Ahmad said that with a view to push forward the interests of the members both in employment and in practice, the Institute has taken Capacity Building Initiatives so that they remain updated and are adequately equipped to provide exacting solutions to the businesses in the prevailing competitive and contestable environment.