The scope of work and recognition for Company Secretaries in the country, has gone beyond just being a Compliance Officer. They are now called the Governance Professionals and rightly so as they now are seen as a key role player in the Overall Governance Structure of not only the corporates but of the entire country.
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has been working on developing Model Governance Codes for various entities in the country. Aligning to this momentum the ICSI recently organised a webinar on the theme “Governance – from Grass root to Global”. Hon’ble Speaker of the Loksabha Sri Om Birla was the Chief guest at the webinar.
Appreciating the initiatives undertaken by ICSI during the lockdown, Shri Birla acknowledged the role played by the Company Secretaries in making “Atmanirbhar Bharat” a reality. Shri Birla emphasized on strengthening local governments at the rural and urban levels.
“Company Secretaries are playing a commendable role in strengthening the Business Environment and Corporate Administration of the country and they should further pledge to turn challenges into opportunities and strengthen the rural economy of the country as well “, he said.
The webinar was attended by over sixty thousand ICSI members and professionals.
CS Ashish Garg, President ICSI, briefed the audience about the various initiatives specifically curated by the Institute during the lockdown for the professional development of its members and students. He explained the importance and prevalence of good governance in the country, since ancient times, by sighting examples from our rich cultural past.
CS Dr.Shyam Agarwal, Member Appellate Authority and Past President ICSI, gave an insight of the Four Governance Codes introduced by ICSI in 2017. The Model Governance Code for Gram Panchayat, Corporate Anti-Bribery Code, Code for Charity Governance and the Corporate Governance Code based on Ancient Scriptures had all won accolades from Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2017.
Prof. Ramesh K Arora, Chairman Management Development Academy, Jaipur, offered several suggestions on reforming the governance system at various levels, particularly relating to monitoring of work and a system of rewards and punishment.
About ICSI
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is a premier professional body set up under an Act of Parliament, i.e., Company Secretaries Act, 1980, for the regulation and development of the profession of Company Secretaries in India. It functions under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. The Institute, being a pro-active body, focuses on best and top-quality education to students of Company Secretaries Course and best quality set standards for CS members. The Institute has over 65,000 members and about 3 lakh students on its roll.
