Questionnaire on Quality Assessment

(Banks and Financial Institutions)

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 29A of the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 read with rules 8, 9 and 10
of the Company Secretaries Procedures of Meetings of Quality Review Board and Terms and Conditions of Service
and Allowances of the Chairperson and Members of the Board Rules, 2006, the Central Government constituted a
Quality Review Board to perform the following functions:-
(a) to make recommendations to the Council with regard to the quality of services provided by the members of the
Institute;
(b) to review the quality of services provided by the members of the Institute including secretarial services; and
(c) to guide the members of the Institute to improve the quality of services and adherence to the various statutory and
other regulatory requirements.
The Quality Review Board decided to seek feedback and suggestions from the users on the quality of the services
provided by Company Secretaries from leading Chambers of Commerce, Listed Premier Companies, Financial
Institutions, Banks, Mutual Funds, MCA, CLB, SAT, RDs, ROCs, CEGAT, OLs, SEBI, RBI, Pollution Control Boards,
Regulators, etc
Accordingly your views/suggestions/comments would be of immense help to the Board to decide future directions for
the Council in order to review, maintain and enhance the quality of services rendered by a Company Secretary.

1. Personal Detail

Name : ............................................................... Designation : .......................................................................

Name of Organisation : ...........................................................................................................................................

Address : ...........................................................................................................................................................

Phone : ............................................................... Mobile : ..............................................................................

Fax : ............................................................... Email : ...................................................................................

2. Do you have any employees having a CS qualification in your organization ? (Yes/No)

If yes state the number of such employees ..........................................................................................................

3. What is the total number of employees employed in your organisation .................................................................

4. Which are the areas in which they are employed. Please tick (
) all applicable.

Company Secretary

Corporate Compliance Management

Legal

Finance

Direct Taxation

Indirect Taxation

Audit/Internal Audit

Strategies and Planning

Any other. Please specify ...............................................................................................................

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 5. What is the induction level of a qualified Company Secretary in your organisation ? (Please tick as applicable)

Junior Management Cadre

No. of CS employed in this Cadre ..........................................

Middle Management Cadre

No. of CS employed in this Cadre ..........................................

Senior Management Cadre

No. of CS employed in this Cadre ..........................................

Top Management Cadre

No. of CS employed in this Cadre ..........................................

6. Is the induction level for other professionals like MBAs, law graduates, chartered accountant, cost accountants,
at par with that of Company Secretaries in your organisation ?
(Yes/No)

7. Do you send your employees (Company Secretaries) for refresher courses/professional development training
programmes.
(Yes/No)

8. If yes what is the frequency of such programmes. Please tick (

)
Once in 2-3 years

Every Year

Twice each year

More than twice in a year

9. Out of the following areas in which areas do you consider that a Company Secretary can be usefully deployed
in your organisation ? Please tick (
 )1
Legal

Corporate Compliance Management

Finance

Direct Taxation

Indirect Taxation

Strategies and Planning

Audit/Internal Audit

Any other. Please specify ...............................................................................................................

10. Please rate the skill sets possessed by a Company Secretary as per your perception on a scale of 1 to 5.

1 2 3 4 5

Lowest Highest

(Please tick (
) 1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge Base

Analytical Skills

Interpretation Skills

1. The Company Secretaryship function being our core area has thus, been excluded from the list.

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 Planning & Execution Skills

Decision Making Skills

Negotiation Skills

Drafting Skills

Communication / Presentation Skills

Team Building & Leadership Skills

Management / Administration Skills

Business Service Skills

11. Kindly provide your suggestions for enhancement of the skill sets

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................................

12. The syllabus of the CS Course covers the following main topics. Do you find the course contents appropriate?
If not kindly provide your suggestions in this regard.

Topics covered:

Foundation Programme

1. English and Business Communication

2. Economics and Statistics

3. Financial Accounting

4. Elements of Business Laws and Management

Executive Programme

1. General and Commercial Laws

2. Company Accounts, Cost and Management Accounting

3. Tax Laws

4. Company Law

5. Economics and Labour Laws

6. Securities Laws and Compliances

Professional Programme

1. Company Secretarial Practice

2. Drafting, Appearances and Pleadings

3. Financial, Treasury and Forex Management

4. Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency

5. Strategic Management, Alliances and International Trade

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 6. Advanced Tax Laws and Practice

7. Due Diligence and Corporate Compliance Management

8. Governance, Business Ethics and Sustainability

........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................

13. Which of the following areas are you aware of services being rendered by a Practicing Company Secretary ?
Please tick (
) all applicable.

Corporate Laws

Financial Services and Consultancy

Securities/Commodities Exchange Market

Finance Including Project/Working Capital/Loan Syndication

Corporate Restructuring

Excise/Customs

Sales Tax/VAT

Income Tax

Service Tax

Foreign Exchange Management

Foreign Collaborations & Joint Ventures

Intellectual Property Rights

Depositories

Monopolies/Restrictive Trade Practices/Competition Law

Consumer Protection Laws

Arbitration and Conciliation

Foreign Trade Policy and Procedure

Environment Laws

Labour and Industrial Laws

Societies/Trusts/Co-operative Societies & NCTs (Non Co-operative Trust Societies)

Quasi judicial bodies

Banking and Insurance

Company Law Board

Registrar of Companies

Regional Director

Official Liquidator

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 14. Are you utilizing the services of a Practising Company Secretary ? (Yes/No)

15. Which are the areas in which PCS are rendering services to your organisation ? Please tick (
) all applicable.

Corporate Laws

Financial Services and Consultancy

Securities/Commodities Exchange Market

Finance Including Project/Working Capital/Loan Syndication

Corporate Restructuring

Excise/Customs

Sales Tax/VAT

Income Tax

Service Tax

Foreign Exchange Management

Foreign Collaborations & Joint Ventures

Intellectual Property Rights

Depositories

Monopolies/Restrictive Trade Practices/Competition Law

Consumer Protection Laws

Arbitration and Conciliation

Foreign Trade Policy and Procedure

Environment Laws

Labour and Industrial Laws

Societies/Trusts/Co-operative Societies & NCTs (Non Co-operative Trust Societies)

Quasi judicial bodies

Banking and Insurance

Company Law Board

Registrar of Companies

Regional Director

Official Liquidator

QUESTIONS ON QUALITY ASPECT OF THE PRACTICING COMAPANY SECRETARTIES-

16. What are the strong professional qualities of a Practicing Company Secretary ?

Expertise in subject area.

Prompt service

Providing quality solution

Going beyond the assigned work

Interpersonal skills

Any others. (Please specify) .............................................................................................................

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17. Whether the quality of services rendered by a Practicing Company Secretary meet your expectations ? (Yes/No)

If not then please specify the reasons.

They do not have thorough knowledge of the subject

They limit themselves up to their works only. i.e. they do not offer any further solution

They charge inappropriate fee

They do not finish the required work in time

Any other (Please specify) .............................................................................................................

18. What are the factors which undermine the quality of services rendered by the company secretary.

CS is a generalist

CS is a specialist

CS limit themselves within company law/compliance only.

Can not answer

19. Why you choose to outsource the job to Practicing Company Secretary ?

Organization do not have secretarial department

PCS have more in-depth knowledge of the subject and to provide addition professional services

PCS offers complete solution

The organization incurs more cost in hiring a full time Company Secretary than outsourcing the work to
PCS
Legal requirement

20. Rank the quality of services rendered by Practicing Company Secretary on the Scale of five-

21 Kindly give your suggestions which can enhance the quality of service rendered by Practicing Company
Secretary.

1. ........................................................................................................................................................

2. ........................................................................................................................................................

3. ........................................................................................................................................................

22. Do you feel that the fee charged by a Practicing Company Secretary match with the quality of services rendered
by him ?

Charge higher fees

Charge appropriate fees

Charge lower fees

Can not say

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23. On what areas the Practicing Company Secretary should emphasize to build the competitive advantage as
against professional colleagues from other sister bodies ?

Expertise in the Law & other Corporate Laws

Personality and communication development

Expertise in Corporate Governance

Any other please Specify ................................................................................................................

24. Do you think that the quality of services rendered by practicing Company Secretary is aligned with the
Mission and Vision statements of ICSI ?

Yes

Can not say

No

Little bit aligned

25. In your opinion, whether the CS or CA performs better, the service (like internal audit of stock broker, diligence
reports for banks, compliance certificates under clause of 49, article of memorandum certification etc).

Company Secretary

Chartered Accountant

Can not Say

26. What are the parameters you choose to rate the quality of the services rendered by a Practicing Company
Secretary ?

Professional expertise

Timely delivery of Service

Economic and cost effective services

Accuracy and reliability

Any others ( Please Specify)____________________________________

27. Do you think that the quality of the services rendered by the practicing Company Secretary can be improved
by attending Professional Development & Continuing Education Programmes ?

Yes

No

Can not say

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28. What ICSI should do to enhance the quality of a Company Secretary ?

Admission to CS course on merit

Rigorous Training

Exposure to workshop/ seminar

Intensive training for soft skills and personality/ leadership development

Any other (Please specify) ...............................................................................................................

29. How we (ICSI) can ensure Quality and Standard Service of PCS ?

Strengthening for review practices

Regular interaction of ICSI with regulators

Exercising the practices like Joint Audit, Audit Rotation

Establishing the framework to award grade /certification by ICSI to senior members like the computer
industry (CMM levels)

Any other (please specify) ....................................................................................................................

30. Apart from corporate, in which area a company secretary can perform in a better way ?

NGOs

IPR

International trade

Joint Venture

Any other (Please specify)___________________________________

Date: Signature:

Place: Name:

Kindly mail the completed questionnaire to

Shri V P Sharma
Joint Director (Academics)
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India
‘ICSI HOUSE’, 22, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003
Email : qrb@icsi.edu