ICSI to take disciplinary Action against Students prefixing ‘CS’ in their name

ICSI to take disciplinary Action against Students prefixing ‘CS’ in their name

In the 173 rd  meeting held on June 23-24, 2007, the Council of the Institute decided that a MEMBER of the Institute is allowed to prefix CS to his name to distinguish himself from other professionals and in order to build a brand image of the CS profession.
A student is only enrolled as a MEMBER of the Institute only when he has completed the course along with the mandatory practical & other training requirements as prescribed by the Institute from time to time. It is necessary that the student has obtained the
membership. But it has come to knowledge of the Institute that some of the students are “Prefixing ‘CS’ before their names and are misrepresenting themselves as a Member of the Institute”

The institute of Company Secretaries of India on 11, June, 2020 issued an advisory, where it has warned the students with regard to taking strict disciplinary actions against the students who are practicing the same.

The institute has also clarified that merely:

 Getting registered as a student OR
 Qualifying the final examinations OR
 Completing the practical trainings

cannot be sufficient to be called as a member of the Institute, there is a mandatory requirement to obtain the MEMBERSHIP of the institute. Prefixing CS before obtaining membership and representing as a member leads to contravention of section 24 of the
Companies Secretaries Act, 1980 and disciplinary action will be taken against that.

The Institute is strictly in vigilance to take note of the same and will take every step to prevent the usage of name. The Institute also mentioned that the said advisory has been issued to create awareness among the students and not to prefix CS before their name
until and unless they are not admitted as the MEMBER of the Institute. Looking into the section 24 of Companies Secretaries Act, 1980, it says:

24. Penalty for falsely claiming to be a member etc.

Subject to the provisions of section 7, any person who,—
(a) not being a member of the Institute,— (i) represents that he is a member of the Institute; or (ii) uses the designation “Company Secretary”; or (iii) uses the letters “A.C.S.”  or “F.C.S.” after his name; or

(b) being a member of the Institute, but not having a certificate of practice, represents that he is in practice or practises as a Company Secretary, shall be punishable on first conviction with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, and on any subsequent conviction with imprisonment which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.

Summary: An advisory to the students has been issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India regarding not to prefix CS before their name or represent them as a member of the Institute unless they have obtained membership of the institute. In case
they are found of doing so, there will be strict action taken against them.