ICSI threatens students who question CS results with ‘disciplinary actions’

NEW DELHI : After warning students of “disciplinary actions” if they post “adverse remarks” on social media regarding June 2023 paper checking issues, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has now advised students to adopt a “focused learning approach with discipline and determination to be successful professionals”.

Thousands of Company Secretary (CS) course students who appeared in the annual examination in June 2023 received their results in August 2023. Disappointed with the ICSI result, students obtained their answer copies from ICSI and alleged that they had been awarded zero or one mark in several five and 10-mark questions across papers even when their answers were in line with both the module and suggested answers.

In separate mails to CS Executive (second) and CS Professional (third) year students of the CS course, ICSI on Thursday in a circular said that a fair evaluation process has always been a priority of the institute. The ICSI has also explained the evaluation process and marking scheme to students. At the same time, it has told students to not share the emails with anyone or complain to any authority other than officials of the institute. “Any email sent to anyone except the officials of the institute would be viewed seriously,” it warned students.

However, the students are “unhappy” with ICSI’s “unsatisfactory” responses and are planning to launch a social media campaign to raise their issues. Students are also supported by their teachers who are advocating for a “fair evaluation process” in their YouTube videos and social media posts.

ICSI notice a ‘gag order’: Students

The ICSI had declared the CS executive and professional June 2023 results on August 25 on the official website, icsi.edu. The pass percentage has not touched even 15% for any of the modules in either CS Professional or CS Executive.

After obtaining their answer copies, students along with teachers, started complaining about the paper checking on social media. Noticing this, ICSI in an “important announcement for members and students” issued on October 6 said: “Some members/students are posting adverse remarks on the social media about the institute, without ascertaining proper facts, diligence and without availing the remedial measures available for them in the Institute. Some members and students have also tagged the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), regulators and other higher forums.…Posting and circulating these kinds of messages and videos in the social media amounts to misconduct and the members/students resorting to such acts may be subject to disciplinary actions.”

Finally, it said: “The Institute reserves its right to initiate suitable actions against such members / students....Therefore, members and students are hereby advised to follow the above advisory in true letter and spirit and to desist themselves from such acts."

On the condition of anonymity, a CS executive student called the warning a “gag order.” “We had already sent our paper checking issues to ICSI on their respective email IDs. When we did not receive any responses, we contacted our teachers who raised our issues on Youtube. We shared their videos on X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms to raise the issues of improper copy checking by ICSI. Is it wrong to raise our issues online in an age of social media ?,” he asked.

Also Read | ICSI Result: CS Executive, Professional exam answers checked badly, allege thousands

Careers360 on October 9 had sought response of ICSI chairman CS Manish Gupta on Company Secretary course candidates' allegations that they were marked low in the June 2023 CS exam despite answers matching “suggested answers” on icsi.edu. However, he did not reply.

On October 11 and 12, ICSI sent separate mails to CS executive and CS professional students regarding paper checking issues and asked them not to share them with others. Careers360 has accessed the contents of both the mails.

Barring its latest post, ICSI has disabled the comment sections on its posts on both X and Instagram. It has also disabled comments on its last three Live videos on Youtube. In the comment section of a seven days old video, students have demanded resignation of the ICSI chairman and a rechecking option.

ICSI: Emails ‘viewed seriously’

Even though ICSI provides answer copies to the students, it has told them that the copies shall not be used for legal purposes and should not be out in public domain or shared with anyone or on social media.

In an email to all CS Executive and Professional students on October 11, ICSI said it has a designated portal for grievance-handling and other email ids to which the students can mark their complaints or grievances directly. It also asked students not to write to other authorities.

“The grievance portal and these email ids are checked regularly and timely responded to. The students are advised to only use the smash portal and designated email ids to raise their queries and refrain from writing direct emails or keeping in cc to the President - ICSI, Vice-President - SCSI, Council members - ICSI, officials of the MCA, other ministries and government nominees or officials,” it said.

“Any email sent to anyone except the officials of the institute would be viewed seriously,” it warned the students.

ICSI advise

Explaining the evaluation process, ICSI in its October 12 circular sent to students via email said: “While evaluating the answer scripts of students, conceptual clarity, relevancy, objective, intent of the question, etc., are considered. The examiners have been instructed to evaluate answers and award marks accordingly.”

ICSI said that the suggested answers or indicative model solutions, which are subject to multiple review processes, are provided to the examiners.

“The answer scripts are not evaluated on verbatim content of the same, considering the nature of law-based questions. When there is more than one method to answer a question, especially practical questions, the institute provides alternate answers and accordingly the examiners give due weightage to all correct alternate answers,” it said.

The institute “strongly” recommended that the students while preparing for the examinations should study “bare acts, delegated legislations, study materials, student company secretary journal, chartered secretary journal, recent landmark judgements”.

Also Read | ICSI to hold CS Professional exam under new syllabus in June 2024, offers option to switchover

Teacher CS Dushyant Jain in a Youtube video demanded resignation of ICSI chairman Gupta. “Instead of helping students, they are threatening to take legal action against them. If a student has to study all of the things as strongly recommended by ICSI, why will he do a CS course ? He can sit for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE). They are not acknowledging their mistakes and students are being forced to leave this course even when it is an important course.”

Responding to the suggestion and recommendations of ICSI, a CS Professional student said: “Instead of working on our genuine issues and improving their paper checking activities, the institute is asking us to study more. The ICSI CS exam is one of the toughest exams and we already study a lot. Even after giving our best in every paper, we are marked zero and one in 10 marks questions. ICSI response is unsatisfactory and we are planning to raise our issues now on social media.”

Another CS professional student said, “Instead of acknowledging their own mistakes in paper checking, ICSI is hell bent on destroying our careers …. They are also asking us not to share our concerns with our teachers and raise issues on social media. What other options do we have to fight against this injustice?”