Despite the pandemic and the lockdown, this year, around 10,000 students signed up for the Company Secretary examination held in December, according to Nagendra D Rao, President, Institute of Company Secretaries of India. While speaking at an event in Chennai, he said that in 2020, the examinations were held in a remote proctored manner, keeping the COVID-19 restrictions in mind.
"Students were given the option of logging in from their houses or from a cyber cafe. They could use a computer or a laptop and record them writing the exam using a camera, to avoid malpractices. They were not permitted to use a mobile phone, however," said Rao. A change in the norm, Rao said has caused a bit of hesitation among the aspirants. But he added that there wasn't a huge dip in the number of students who wrote the exam. "There was a great response from the students in rural parts of the country. A lot of them turn out to be quite talented," he added.
Encouraging more students to take up the examination, Rao said that India has a huge demand today for company secretaries but does not have enough qualified people. He also expanded on the new initiatives of the institute. "ICSI has taken various initiatives including extensive career orientation, professional development programs, brand building and ICSI Digital revolution," said Rao. While he said that the course structure will alter slightly after the implementation of the new NEP, he added that passing the exam will bring one a step closer to being 'Atmanirbhar'.
