The author completed a Company Secretary (CS) course but found themselves unemployable as employers did not recognize the CS qualification. When applying for government jobs, the author's CS certificates were rejected as equivalent only to a diploma, not a degree. The author criticizes the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for not obtaining universal recognition of the CS course. After wasting years on the CS course, the author now has to restart their career by pursuing an undergraduate degree. The author urges ICSI to take action to get the CS course recognized within the next few years.

1. The Director (Academics) and Others,
ICSI,
New Delhi.
And all the email IDs appearing in the website.
Subject: Isn’t CS course a waste of time and precious resources? My
candidature rejected – not treated equivalent to even
graduattios for the lowest post of Clerk!
Respected Sirs/Madams,
I wish to bring it to your kind notice that I had completed my CS
course and thereafter no one found me employable not because of
my skills but on account of CS Certificates which according to them
have no relevance. Later I started attaching the copies of the
syllabus of CS course to let all employers know what CS course is
and how amazing curriculum it has to learn and acquire knowledge
in various fields. But again they told me that it is not a universally
recognized degree like B.A., B.Com., B.Sc., MBA or M.Com, let
alone the issue of calling myself as a graduate.
Recently I applied for PUNSUP recruitment but my candidature was
rejected on the grounds that my CS course certificates are neither
equivalent to graduation nor postgraduation, nor is ICSI a
University recognized by UGC. I asked that in the same way ICAI is
not a University then why were they treating CAs as equivalent to
postgraduation (M.Com/MBA (Finance). They replied that CA is
India’s best course and universally recognized course which needs
no recognition from anyone. Thereafter when I argued to let them
know the benefits of CS, I was shooed away from the office.
I am surprised why ICSI has not yet made itself known in all the
sectors of the country? The students are unable to find training for

2. more than one year and have to get themselves registered de
novo, but ICSI officials behave as if they know nothing about it.
After wasting my 4 years I am now back to square one – doing
B.Com as a regular student (because distance education is also not
recognized and I don’t want to take risk again in my life by making
wrong decision just as I did 4 years ago while joining ICSI. In this
materialistic world where the youngsters have to fulfill familial
obligations, can a sane person think of doing apprenticeship or
internship of 15 months for the stipend of Rs. 2500-3500 per
month? No, but the officials of ICSI seem to have been competing
with ICAI which has made it mandatory to complete training of 3.5
years to be a CA. Why does ICSI forget that it is not ICAI, nor CS
equal to CAs AND CAN NEVER BE!
My life has gone waste; unlike others who prefer to suffer and
speak against ICSI and PCS and companies on Facebook groups and
blogs, I am showing courage to highlight the plight of hapless
students of ICSI whom no one is appointing because they have not
sought recognition from UGC for CS course. After studying such a
tough syllabus what have we actually learnt? Are we advocates?
Are we auditors/CAs? Even though we have studied laws and
accounts, yet no one treats us equal to CAs and even by changing
the syllabus you are not going to do anything favorable to CS’s
because this course is known to anyone.
I showed them the list of Universities which your prospectus has
published to let them know that after CS one can do Ph.D., but they
said “Better you do Ph.D. “. Before that I sent my application form
for UGC-NET entrance test but my application was rejected by the
University Centre where I submitted application on the ground that
only post graduates can appear for UGC-NET and “diploma holders”
can’t appear. Does it mean that my CS certificate is just a diploma
that illiterates do? If this is diploma, then it must be diploma in
office secretaryship course that some boards conduct.

3. I have done CS with 60% marks. So I deserve to be atleast a petty
clerk for which my application has been rejected. Chairman and
Directors of ICSI must note that they are earning money from the
public exchequer and getting appointed to the posts they are
holding falls within exceptions and they should do something to get
CS course universally recognized within 2-3 years before I and
people like me become overage for the purposes of govt. job. If we
are unable to appear for UGC-NET exam, how is it going to give us
practical benefit even if your so-called Universities recognize it as
equivalent to MBA or LLM or M.Com? Have you yourself done
postgraduation from a recognized university? If yes, why don’t you
know that in order to be an Asstt.Professor one must have UGC-
NET exam clearance and without that no one can be a teacher.
How can we, the CS, be appointed Lecturers if we are not eligible to
sit in the entrance test for UGC-NET?
After writing to you, I am gonna write to all the Ministries so that
ICSI may be scrapped or the CAs be included into the Companies
Act by way of amendment therein so that the life and career of
students is not spoiled.
I am glad that ICSI is going to enhance the period of training to 2
years and syllabus is going to be changed :) Yes, do that asap,
because others too should suffer as I have suffered in life after
wasting so much time which I could devote to do 2 degrees B.Com
and M.Com/MBA. Most of the PCS are running coaching centres
and they are earning more and more just because ICSI gives poor
result to its students. Don’t compete with CAs because a CA
whenever completes his course starts earning in millions, whereas
a CS pass out has to beg before PCS and Companies for training,
not to speak of asking for job. A CA is appointed everywhere but a
CS has to apply for lower posts like clerical grade or Executive scale.
By displaying the pamphlets in train compartments you can’t

4. increase the value of this course. Do something which is realistic.
Pass more and more students so that more and more students are
out and they join different sectors and thus the qualification is
recognized (or come to known amongst the employers of all hues).
(Ignore all the grammatical errors and wobbly flotilla of my ideas
scribbled in a jiffy as I have to depart in a few hours to another city
for joining my B.Com classes and wanted to say good bye to all for
once and for all. Yes, you can say that perhaps I was not fit for this
course. Yes you can because you like to close your eyes from the
reality. Earn now due to the positions that you are holding or by
asking everyone to do CS course so that you may earn through the
coaching centres that you are secretly running by hiring
unemployed CS or by selling notes for thousands of rupees).
Don’t play with the career of others, for there is someone out there
above the heaven who is watching you……
Bye,
Manish
7/11/2012
(I can’t forget this day when my certificates were declared as diploma
but neither a degree nor a PG degree and I had to start my life afresh
after wasting 8 years of my life. In April 2003, two of my friends decided
to do CA, whereas I chose to do CS as I was impressed from its syllabus.
Now… both of them own their own flats, whereas I am going to pursue
B.Com in the age of 26. Shame on me for the wrong decision and my
craving to do something different – to stand apart from the crowd!