ICSI (Continuous Professional Education) Guidelines, 2019 1
In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (1) of Part II of the Second
Schedule to the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 (56 of 1980), as amended by
the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2006, the Council of the
Institute of Company Secretaries of India hereby issues the following
guidelines:-
1. SHORT TITLE AND COMMENCEMENT
These Guidelines shall be called the ICSI (Continuous Professional
Education) Guidelines, 2019 or ‘ICSI (CPE) Guidelines, 2019’ in short. These
Guidelines shall come into force, w.e.f 1st April, 2020.
2. OBJECTIVE AND INTRODUCTION
The Company Secretaries Act, 1980 was enacted to make provisions for the
regulation and development of the profession of Company Secretaries. The
Institute of Company Secretaries of India set up under the said Act has been
conducting examinations and prescribing standards for adherence by its
members.
A profession cannot maintain its cutting edge competencies unless its
members regularly update their knowledge. Attendance and participation in
Professional Development Programs, Certificate Programs, and other similar
training and professional development programs organized by the ICSI and
its offices and other recognized bodies enable members to –
(i) Constantly upgrade professional competence and skills.
(ii) Sensitize them to new and emerging opportunities for professional
services.
(iii) Assure users of professional services that they possess adequate skills
commensurate with their professional responsibilities.
(iv) Improve their level of confidence to meet ever-changing demands on the
profession.
The objective of these guidelines is to facilitate the members in keeping them
abreast of latest developments, widening their knowledge base and
improving their skills to maintain the cutting edge by providing training and
expertise in critical areas of professional interest and to assist members
achieve constant upgrading of competence by acquiring adequate skills
commensurate with their professional responsibilities.
1 as approved by the Council in its 263rd (Special) Meeting held on 23 September, 2019 at New Delhi and
amended by the Council in its 266th Meeting held on 9 January, 2020 at New Delhi)
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3. APPLICABILITY OF THE GUIDELINES
3.1 These guidelines shall be mandatory for all the members irrespective
of whether they are in practice or otherwise, except those specified in
para 5.1.
3.2 The Member shall be required to mark his / her attendance in the
attendance register or through biometric or any other electronic mode
both at the time of start of the learning event and at the end thereof.
3.3 For the removal of doubts, it is clarified that all issues relating to the
implementation and interpretation of terms used in these guidelines
shall be the responsibility of the Professional Development Committee
constituted by the Council. The Committee may discharge its duties in
this regard (including issue of clarifications and advisories from time to
time) for implementation within the limits of its authority as specified
or prescribed by the Council.
4. KEY DEFINITIONS
4.1 Approved Learning Program shall mean any programme of academic nature
(viz., Professional Development Program, Continuing Professional Education
Program, Certificate Courses / Program, Refresher Course of the ICSI, Crash
Courses, Self-Assessment examinations, Programmes any other program,
Seminar or study circle meeting) organised by the HQ, RO, CCGRT, CoE or
Chapter of the Institute, and programmes organised jointly with professional
bodies, partner institutions or Chambers of Commerce. The Programmes
organised by HQ through distance / electronic mode shall also be construed
as approved learning programme under these guidelines.
Provided however that the Professional Development Committee under
exceptional circumstances (such as complete lockdown, social disturbance,
communal riots, curfew, government order prohibiting large gatherings etc.)
which render it impossible to conduct any programmes in the physical mode
may on case to case basis allow the ROs, CCGRT, COEs or Chapters also to
conduct any learning programme through electronic / distance mode
subject to reasonable restrictions.
Provided further that the Professional Development Committee shall be
empowered to add / approve any other activity as approved learning
programme on case to case basis.
4.2 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) – The process of members’
continuous learning.
4.3 Structured CPE Credits – The CPE Credits awarded to the members for
attendance at approved learning programmes.
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4.4 Unstructured CPE Credits – The CPE Credits awarded to the members
for undertaking any of the learning activities stated in para 7 of these
guidelines.
4.5 Year for the purposes of these guidelines shall mean the period of 12
months commencing from 1st day of April and ending on 31st day of March
following. Further, the Council or President if authorised by the Council may
increase the year upto 15 months for the purpose of relaxation of
requirement of CPE Credits in any such year.
5.1 EXEMPTIONS
The requirements of CPE Credit shall not apply to:
(a) A member who attains the age of 60 years during a particular
calendar year and who is neither in any gainful employment nor in
practice.
(b) A member, for the year during which he attains membership of the
Institute.
(c) Member of Parliament;
(d) Member of legislative assembly or legislative council;
(e) Member of Judiciary;
(f) Members of any of the Central Civil Services;
(g) Members of any of the State Civil Services;
(h) Employees of regulatory bodies, government organizations (not being
corporate entities), and statutory bodies;
(i) Members of Armed Forces and Paramilitary forces;
(j) A member or class of members to whom the Professional Development
Committee of the Council grant full/partial exemption, on case to case
basis, either by granting specific /general exemption, on account of
facts and circumstances in the following situations:
(i) Maternity / Paternity Leave;
(ii) Accident / Medical Emergencies;
(iii) Partial / Total Disablement;
(iv) Absence from the country;
(v) Such other case(s), as may be deemed appropriate by
Professional Development Committee of the Council.
Provided that the member falling in any of the above exempted categories
shall submit a declaration along with documentary evidence at the time of
renewal of membership on annual basis or anytime at the time of claiming
exemptions.
5.2.1 Multiple Qualifications - A member holding membership of more
than one sister professional institution, wherein he / she is also required to
meet CPE Credit requirements in order to continue the membership, such
member shall be granted equal number of CPE Credits as are applicable to
such learning activities undertaken under the banner of the other
professional body(ies).
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Explanation: An undertaking to be given by the respective members at the
time of renewal of membership stating that they have complied the
requirements of the other professional body.
5.2.2 It is mandatory for all members of the Institute, except those specified
in para 5.1 to secure 20 CPE Credits in a year through structured
and unstructured learning program. However, no carry forward for
excess Program Credit Hours from one year to another year will be
allowed.
5.2.3 No CPE credit will be given to a participant who attends the
programme partially.
5.2.4 Members whose reply to prize queries is published in the Chartered
Secretary will be entitled to FOUR CPE Credits.
5.2.5 Members above the age of 60 years shall be required to obtain 50% of
the PCH required to be obtained by the members, if he is in the
gainful employment or holding the certificate of practice. This shall be
applicable from the year succeeding the Financial Year in which the
member attains the age of 60 years.
5.2.6 In case of members who are registered as Insolvency Professionals or
Registered Valuers with the ICSI-Insolvency Professionals Agency and
the ICSI-Registered Valuers Organisation as the case may be, the
respective bodies may consider granting CPE Credits to the members
for attendance at learning programmes on the topics prescribed by the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). And the same may
be in part fulfillment of the requirement of obtaining CPE
requirements prescribed by the IBBI.
6. CPE CREDIT FOR STRUCTURED LEARNING ACTIVITIES
6.1 No CPE Credits will be awarded for any learning program whose
duration is less than 1 hour.
6.2 The basis of calculation of CPE Credits will be as under:
No. of hours of Learning Program attended by CPE Credit
the member
Beyond 1 hour and upto 2 hours 1
Beyond 2 hours and upto 4 hours in a single day 2
Beyond 4 hours in a single day 4
Program spanning 1 ½ days 6
Program spanning 2 days 8
Program spanning 2 ½ days and above/National 10
Convention
6.3 A member whose article is published in the “Chartered Secretary” will
be entitled to 4 CPE Credits.
6.4 In respect of joint authorship of the article, the two credit hours be
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awarded to each member who has authored the article. However, the
joint authorship should be limited to two authors only.
6.5 The article published in the Souvenir of National Convention /
Souvenir of National Conference of Practicing Company Secretaries /
Souvenir of Regional Conferences shall be treated at par with the
article published in the Chartered Secretary for the purposes of grant
of credit hours.
6.6 If the Programme Director / Programme Co-ordinator / Programme
Facilitator / Course Coordinator attends the full program, full credit of
the CPE Credits allotted for the program will be given.
6.7 Members acting as Faculties in any of the program organised by the
Institute, he shall be entitled to minimum 2 and maximum 4 CPE
hours for any session of not less than 30 minutes on such sessions,
where CPE credit granted is being granted to the members. Further,
no CPE Credit shall be given to a member for acting as a faculty in Oral
Tuition Classes or any other student training programs.
6.8 For Members who’s professional address is beyond 100 km from the
nearest Regional Council/Chapter(s)/Study Circle(s) and attend a
program at any Program Learning Centre, they shall be awarded
double the CPE Credits for which the concerned Program is entitled.
However, this will not apply to attendance at the National
Convention/National Conclave/National Conference of Practising
Company Secretaries/Regional Conferences organised by the Regional
Councils.
6.9 Where the members in practice who has practice set up beyond 100
km from the nearest Regional Council/Chapter are not able to attend
the professional development programmes, they may write to the
Institute for approving a topic on which they can prepare research
paper to get the exemption from securing CPE Credits or may resort to
unstructured learning activities as per para 7 of these Guidelines.
6.10 The Research paper include:
(i) A concept paper on emerging areas of practice for Company Secretaries
(ii) A Referencer / backgrounder on contemporary topics relevant to
Company Secretaries
(iii) A booklet on any topic relating to the areas of practice for Company
Secretaries
(iv) A monograph on any contemporary topic relevant to the Company
Secretaries
(v) An empirical study of practical relevance to the Company Secretaries
6.11 Members whose research paper is approved by the Professional
Development Committee of the Council, will be exempted from the
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requirement of securing CPE Credits for the year during which the
research paper is approved.
7. CPE CREDIT FOR UNSTRUCTURED LEARNING ACTIVITIES
The members shall be granted CPE Credit under these Guidelines for
undertaking any of the following unstructured learning activities subject to a
maximum of Twelve CPE Credits in each year:
Learning Activity CPE Maximum
S No. Credits per CPE in a
activity year
1 Web based learning including e- 2 8
learning, webinar, subject to
declaration of CPE Hours by the
ICSI
2 Viewing video recording of the 2 2
learning programmes organized by
the Institute subject to submission
of self declaration by the member
3 Publication of article in a UGC 4 8
approved journal other than the
Chartered Secretary Journal.
4 Publication of book(s). 8 8
5 Revision of Published Book 6 6
6 Acting as Guide / Supervisor for a 4 4
M.Phil. / LL.M. / Ph.D. student
registered with a UGC approved
University
7 Submitting suggestions on 2 4
Questionnaires / Consultative
Papers / Exposure Draft, etc. sought
by the Institute.
8 Reviewing of Articles / Guideline 2 4
Answers / Study Material and other
publications of the Institute
9 Publication of Research findings / 4 4
Studies on the areas relevant to
Corporate Sector, Capital Markets
and Professional interest in a UGC -
Consortium for Academic Research
and Ethics (CARE) approved journal.
10 Publication of articles of professional 2 4
interest in national dailies
registered with the Registrar
of Newspapers for India
11 Acting as visiting faculty or guest 2 4
faculty at the various Universities /
Management Institutions/
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Institutions of National importance /
ICAI /ICAI (CWA).
12 Reading articles published in the 1 2
Chartered Secretary Journal or any
other UGC approved journal (subject
to submission of self declaration by
the member)
13 Acting as a panelist at a programme 2 4
organized by the press and media
14 Participation at meetings of the 2 6
research groups / task forces / core
groups / Board(s), as may be
constituted by the Council.
8. CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE
A member who fails to obtain the mandatory CPE Credits during the
stipulated period may be liable to disciplinary action for non-compliance
under the provisions of the Company Secretaries Act, 1980, Company
Secretaries Regulations, 1982 and the Code of Conduct, as amended from
time to time.
9. Removal of Difficulties
If any difficulty arises with respect to the observance / interpretation of
these Guidelines, or some unforeseeable circumstances occur which have
not expressly been provided for in these Guidelines, then the Secretary, ICSI
shall decide the matter in consultation with President, ICSI and pass such
orders as may appear necessary or expedient for carrying out the objectives
of these Guidelines.
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