FAQ ON SURRENDER OF DIN

 

1. Whether an individual can have more than one Director Identification Number (DIN)?

 

Section 153 of the Companies Act, 2013, prohibits every individual who has already been allotted a DIN under Section 154, from holding or applying for another DIN. Thus, an individual cannot have more than one DIN.

 

2. In case an individual is holding two DINs, which he has acquired by mistake, which DIN needs to be surrendered? First DIN or the Second DIN?

 

An individual who is in possession of Duplicate/Multiple DINs, can retain only the Oldest DIN. DINs obtained later have to be surrendered. The data related to both the DINs will be merged with the Old DIN post surrendering of Duplicate/Multiple DINs.

 

3.       Whether a deactivated DIN can be surrendered?

 

In case, the DIN holder fails to file the Form DIR-3 KYC before 30^th September every year, the system will mark all non-compliant DINs against which DIR-3 KYC form has not been filed as ‘Deactivated due to non-filing of DIR-3 KYC’. Such deactivated DIN cannot be surrendered.

 

4.       Who can apply for surrender of DIN?

 

Surrender of DIN can be applied by the following individuals (DIN Holders):

 

·         Individual who is having multiple DINs

·         Individual who obtained DIN in a wrongful manner or by fraudulent means

·         In case of Death of the concerned individual

·         Individual who is declared as a person of unsound mind by a competent court

·         Individual who has been adjudicated as insolvent

·         Individual who is/was not associated with any company/LLP

 

5.       How to surrender DIN?

 

Application for surrender of DIN can be filed for any reason such as when DIN is unused and not intended for future reference also or multiple DINs are allotted to same person or DIN holder is no more or has become of unsound mind or insolvent etc.

 

The application for surrender of DIN shall be made in e-Form DIR-5 by stating the reasons for surrendering the DIN.The DIN holder has to specify whether he is surrendering his DIN or going to retain any one of his DIN. Retaining DIN will take place only when he acquired 2 or more DINs by mistake and wants to retain any one DIN. Surrender of DIN will occur in case of death of the DIN holder or he has been adjudicated as insolvent or in such other cases.

 

If the individual is going to retain any DIN, then he can retain the oldest DIN only. He has to surrender all the DIN’s obtained later. i.e., he has to surrender all his newly obtained DINs.The application is to be filed along with an affidavit by the DIN Holder requesting the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to deactivate his DIN.The application has to be certified by a Practicing Professional (CA/CMA/CS).This application for surrender of DIN will further be processed by the authorities.After verification of the particulars of the application, Ministry of Corporate Affairs may approve the Form DIR-5 by deactivating such DIN.

 

6.       What are the practical things to be kept in mind before filing application for surrender of DIN?

 

Before filing application for surrender of DIN, ensure that the status of the DIN is active. If KYC relating to the DIN is not yet filed, then first file the KYC relating to the DIN and then file the application for surrender of DIN.

 

In case any individual is having multiple DINs and is going to retain any one DIN, then make sure that the particulars relating to the retained DIN are true and correct. If any of the details provided in the retained DIN like Name, Date of Birth, Address, etc., are not correct, then make steps to correct the same by filing the relevant form like Form DIR-6 before proceeding to file application for surrender of DIN.

 

7.       Whether DIN will be surrendered by person other than the DIN Holder?

 

Yes, DIN can be surrendered by person other than the DIN Holder in the following scenarios:

 

1.       In case of death of the DIN Holder

2.       If the DIN Holder is declared as person of unsound mind by a competent court

3.       If the DIN Holder has been adjudicated as insolvent

 

In the above mentioned cases, the DIN can be surrendered by any person other than the Din Holder and the person who is making the application has to disclose his name, his relationship with DIN Holder and his PAN.

 

8.       What will happen to the existing Directorship’s of the individual under his New DINpost surrender the same?

 

In this scenario, all his existing Directorship in New DIN will be merged with the Oldest DIN post getting the approval from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). i.e., all his existing directorship in surrendered DIN will come under the retained DIN and the surrendered DIN will not be valid in any case.

 

9.       What are the documents required from the DIN Holder to surrender his DIN?

 

·         Passport size photograph of the DIN Holder is to be attached in the application to verify the identity of the person.

·         Proof of Identity of the applicant

·         Proof of address of the applicant

·         Copy of death certificate, in case death of the DIN Holder

·         Copy of court order, in case the DIN Holder is declared as insolvent/unsound mind.

·         Affidavit by the DIN Holder including a declaration by the applicant requesting the authorities to update all his associated CIN/LLPIN with the retained DIN.

 

10.   What is the consequence of holding two DINs?

 

As per Section 159 of the Companies Act, 2013, such DIN holder shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months or with fine which may extend to 
Rs. 50,000 and where the contravention is a continuing one, with a further fine which may extend to Rs. 500 for every day after the first during which the contravention continues.

 

CS Mohankumar

KNOW YOUR MEMBER – CS BALAJI RAJAN

 1.      Kindly share about your education – how you got attracted to CS course and how your progress in CS exams was.

I had to go for work at the age of seventeen and from thenthere was a continuous fight for allotment of time formy work and studies. I was introduced to CS course by my friends. It was not easy for me to clear the exams since I wanted to continue my work and I had to take care of my wife working in hospital having duties of different time, a little daughter and old parents. I didn’t want to settle with where I was. I wanted to come up and CS course, I thought,was the one and the only course which could be perfectly fixed with my situation at that time.

If you ask me the best quote in the world “Hard work never fails”. That solves all my problems.

 

2.      We understand that you worked in ICF and completed while you were working there. Please share that experience of working in ICF and completing the course

 Integral Coach Factory has a systematic and dynamic work culture. The people working with me were really very friendly and helpful. There was no scope for company secretary; so I resigned from the post of clerk and entered practice.

 3.      Did you work in any corporate as CS or start practice immediately on getting membership?

 I was tired of going to office and working under a boss. I wanted to be a freelancer. So, I started practice after my resignation from ICF. In practice, one can use his skills of time management, personnel management, behavioral management, business management, financial management, accounting management, communication management, brand management and administrative management, etc.Whether I want to close my office at 6.00 PM or I want to work up to12.00 PM, both are in my hands. Of course many times it is in the hands of MCA. This elasticity can be utilized for maintaining our level of income also.

 4.      You are so passionate about studying- what are the courses that you have studied? Any plans to study further?

 When I was working in ICF, I studied Diploma in Personnel Management, Industrial Relations,Labour Laws and Administrative law, etc. and degrees like M.com, BAL etc. which helped me to work efficiently and effectively in ICF. During my practice, CWA, MBA Finance and LLB added to give good service to my clients. For my personal taste I studied M.A English and did M.Phil. in corporate secretaryship.

 5.      Kindly share about your family members.

 My wife is a Chief Nursing Superintendent in Railway Hospital, Perambur, Chennai; my daughter hasjust completed MBBS and started practice,and my aged mother isenjoying after watching our growth in every level. Everyone is very co-operative and helpful in my life.

 6.      You have a unique way of diary writing – can you share it with members?

 Many people write diary. In addition to that I have been following a different method of writing diary. Take an old diary and delete day and year in all pages leaving date and month. Now pick all the important events from your previous regular diaries or from your memories and write those events with year in the exact date and month in this diary so that you can see what happened in the past at one place. For example, if you open a page August 28, you may see, in 1998, you may have visited a foreign country, in 2001 you may have passed some exam, In 2003, may be the date of marriage, In 2008, son’s first day in school. So you can see every day, what happened in the previous years of the same day and month. It is a wonderful feeling and you can share the events with the person involved on that day like calling your friends informing that today is the day of our college farewell party in 2007.

 7.      You are a senior member and has crossed 50 years, but look very young. How is it possible?  How do you look at life and future at 50’s?

I am regularly doing exercise and going for walking. I am daily enjoying meditation. It has its own advantageous. So I recommend to all my colleagues and readers to do meditation. Meditation cannot be explained. It can be felt. I am not looking young. I am young, just in early 50’s.

8.      Your thoughts about how CS will progress in the coming years?

 As I already told you CS can use all his skills and dynamic knowledge he obtained from the Institute and will get a star positionin his life. Recognition to CS in various areas clearly shows its growth and importance in the corporate India.

Know your Member - CS Suresh Balakrishnan- A Multi faceted personality

 1. Please tell us about your graduation and your student days with CS Institute.

 I am a Mylaporian and spent all my life in Madras (Chennai). I graduated (B.Com) from A.M. Jain College, Meenambakkam. I completed ACMA and ACS. I joined CS institute after I completed my B.Com (as back in those days minimum qualification was graduation). The Institute was at Eldams Road. I used to go for morning classes. Legends such Anantha Raman used to take classes. Then the Institute shifted to Wheat Croft Road. The Institute library had only few (cyclostyled) copies of past year’s question paper with suggested answers. Students were not allowed to take them out of the library. There used to be so much demand for those books. There were no private publications of the past papers and this was the only source.

 I was working in Sterling Holiday Resorts when I completed my CS and had to undergo 2 weeks of training at the Institute

in addition to 2 weeks training at ROC. Those days ROC was not online and all filings were by physical hard copy. I was fortunate to get holiday to attend the aforesaid trainings.    

 2. What are the Companies that you had worked.  Kindly share your corporate experience

 I had a very short stint with ITC Agro Tech Limited at a place called Adoni in Andhra and was incharge of purchase accounting. I was with Sterling Holiday Resorts incharge of Projects and banking and later became Company Secretary of one of its Group Companies. Then moved on to Blue Dart Aviation Limited as its Company Secretary and also handled Finance and Legal and continued for almost ten years. Then moved on to Scope International (Subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank) as Company Secretary and handled risk compliance and Business Continuity for six years. Also worked with CSS Corp and Sify Technologies as Company Secretary for two years each. Currently working with Thryve Digital Health (subsidiary of Highmark Health (Insurance Company), USA, taking care of Legal & Compliance for the past three years.  

3.  You are known among CS members in Chennai for your photography. How did you get this interest? Tell us what you do in photography.

My interest in photography grew when I was in school days. My father used to a Yashika Camera which was quite costly and it used to be black and white. When it became colour, I had a Nikon (fully manual) camera which gave me an opportunity to learn the details of photography. Those days we will not know the result of the snap until the film roll is developed and a print (hard copy) is made. It used to be a tense moment when you wait at the film studio to get your prints. I still preserve colour negatives taken by me some 35 years back. I also have more than 350 transparencies (slides) on various subjects shot by me which can be projected via a slide projector. With the digital age the complications of printing, sharing has been obviated. 

 4.  We have also seen doing videos and shared some music albums.

 Video was also been my passion right from my college days. I used to have a video camera back then which used to record on a video tape (VHS Cassette). We had a camera which was bulky and also a small Video recorder to record the scenes. The camera and the recorder used to be bulky and would weigh anywhere around 5 to 6 kilos. It used to record only for a maximum time of 3 hours. With the advent of digital camera, I started making version songs of some popular songs with my friends daughter who sings and I do the camera and editing. We uploaded the videos in YouTube one of which has crossed 1.1 million views. I do this during weekends and it’s a very satisfying  passion. 

5.  We understand that you have a passion towards collection of music records.

Having exposed to listening different genre of music and different music media formats  from childhood, I have developed an immense interest in collecting and preserving varied formats of audio media.

My collection include a vintage His Masters Voice (HMV) hand winding Gramophone player dating back to 60 years. This format is becoming extinct with very few records available for collection.

I bought a “Sansui” second hand LP turntable, a Vintage Philips turntable, a brand new “Audio Technica” Turntable with advanced features including reverse playback.

I currently have a collection of around 500 LP records and it still grows day by day. My collection includes few rare LPs such as “20 Greatest hits of Beatles”, “Thrilling Thematic Tunes – A non-film instrumental album by M S Viswanathan”,  “Fabulous Notes And Beats Of The Indian Carnatic-Jazz“  by T. K. Ramamoorthy, How to Name it – Ilaiyaraaja”, “ABBA”, “Boney-M”, “Ananda Shankar”, “Police”,  “Paul Mauriat”, “Led zeplin” etc.

My recent addition is a Photophone vintage 16 mm film projector. Also a TASCAM reel to reel professional studio tape recorder

6.Is there any article that has been published about you and your passion

An Article titled “On Record” was published in “New Indian Express” on in 2018 on World Music Day. Another article named “A Record Love Story” was published in the quarterly in-house magazine of Ramanujan IT City “Infinity”.

7. You were a convener in Chennai West Study Circle few years ago. Chennai West study circle owes a lot to your photos, which is one of the reason for its popularity. Tell us about your association with Chennai West Study Circle

I was associated with Chennai West Study Circle right from its inception. I feel proud and It gives me great satisfaction that I was also a part of its growth. I had the honour of taking the lead of acting as its Convener for one year and currently serving as a Core member. The team is an energetic bunch of guys who know the importance of the topics and choose which are current and relevant for the audience. I have the pleasure of taking photos during the sessions which are uploaded in social media and being viewed by several others.   

8. Can you please tell us about your Family; about your wife and son.

My wife is Priya, housewife. She loves cycling and an ardent cyclist and Gym enthusiast. She is a great support to me which enables me to carry on my passion. My son Siddharth is B.Tech graduate from SRM University currently works with Google for the past one and a half years in Bangalore.  

9. What are your future plans?

With all my Corporate experience in varied fields, I have plans of starting my practice to provide variety of services including secretarial, regulatory compliance, risk analysis, Business Continuity etc.  

10. What would you advise to youngsters on how to manage their work and also their passion

All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. Not only Jack, it makes everyone dull. Hence choose a passion of yours, be it in any field and it will make your life satisfying.

Know Your Member: CS Arvind Rajeevsarathy

 1.       Tell us how you started doing ACS and about your student days.

I schooled in Vidya Mandir, Mylapore and chose to do B.Com. - Corporate Secretaryship at Vivekananda College (Evening). I enjoyed my student days and did reasonably well in studies. While pursuing B.Com, I decided to take CS exams because corporate laws interested me a lot! And the journey continues.

 2.       Which was your first employment? What are the companies you have worked with?

 My first regular employment was with VKC Forex Group - a leading Chennai based Forex Major (now defunct). I shifted to Dr. Agarwal's in 2013 for a six year stint there. It was a challenging and rewarding experience and I was fortunate to get tremendous exposure in Corporate Laws -SEBI regulations, FEMA , Investor Relations and VC funding and, of course, Companies Act.

 3.      How did your passion towards quizzing start?

 I was interested in Quizzing from my school days and it blossomed to an all-consuming passion later. Today I seek quizzing as an integral part of my life. X Quiz It has taken it upon itself to mentor students who have an aptitude for quizzing to participate and excel in inter-school and other major quizzes- both national and regional levels. We have enjoyed considerable success in this venture.

 4.       What are the different things you are doing in quizzing?

 In 2011, three avid quizzers including myself formed “X Quiz It” - a quizzing, infotainment and knowledge services firm. We decided to disseminate the quizzing enthusiasm across all age groups and catering to varied interests. We continue to come up with tailor-made infotainment workshops which captivate the target audience and stoke their appetite for more.

 5.       Guess in quizzing you are more interested in Cricket and have participated with famous cricketers too in events…

 I have always been passionate about cricket, but cricket is one face of X Quiz It's eventful journey. We don't believe in straitjacketing ourselves in a particular sphere. An opportunity came our way to do a programme on behalf of TNPL. We grabbed it enthusiastically. 

 6.       How have your employers looked at your passion?

 I have been fortunate to work under understanding employers who allowed me to ply my skills. However, such gestures are forthcoming only if we perform our job to their satisfaction. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. 

 7.       What are the major events in which you have participated?

 We have conducted quizzes and workshops with IIM, IIT, IISC, ICAI, IFMR, SRM Group, MOP Vaishnav College for Women, etc .We were content providers for KBC Tamil (NVOK) for a couple of seasons. We have conducted close to 250 programmes and going strong.

 8.       Tell us about our family. How supportive are they?

 I have been blessed with a supporting family. They take great interest in my passion and stand by me at all times. My father is CMA, now retired. My Mother is a homemaker and an avid quiz enthusiast. My wife is a qualified CS and has supported me in structuring and editing the contents. My elder brother Dr. Kashyap is a highly qualified mathematician and has been very supportive and proud of my achievements.

 9.       What do you want to tell those who want to have a career as well as a passion?

 It requires great skill to strike a balance between career and passion. There are a lot of variables such as commitment, contacts, support systems and understanding employers. Sacrifices have to be made at critical junctures. Eventually the passion becomes a full-time career just as it has happened in my case.

 Interview by: CS Mohankumar, Past Chairman ICSI SIRC

Know your Member –CS CMA Prabhakar

Please tell us about your student days – in CS and CMA.

 

I did my CMA alongside my graduation and completed both B.com and CMA in June 93 and subsequently I did my CS.

 

You worked in Corporate for long and then took up practice.. How was your experience in employed with corporate?

 

I Joined Corporate in June 1993 and worked till May 2008. I worked with SPIC, BEML, Hatsun Agro and Thiru Arooran Sugars in that order . I worked in the areas of Cost Audit, Internal audit, Payables, MIS, Taxation, Oracle implementation and secretarial compliances. I enjoyed my stint in every company.

 

 What made you to take up practice ?

 

I was associated with some social activity from the year 1990. So I thought that being in practice will give me the flexibility in my work hours and schedule so that I manage my work and social activities.

 We find that you are not doing traditional CS or CMA practice, but engaged in lot of other professional areas. Can you please share about the areas of your practice now

I had always felt that SKY is the limit for any  person who holds any one of the  professional qualifications – namely CA / CMA / CS.  More than the label, it is the attitude, native intelligence and patience which are more important.

My areas of practice are GST, Taxation, PF, ESI, Trade Mark, Cost Audit, Start up Registration, MSME  , DGFT  and secretarial compliances.

 

You might have seen the ups and downs of Enterpreneurs. How has your relationship with them in these times? Any specific change in approach particularly when the business is not doing well?

My relationship with my clients are always Cordial. Entrepreneurs to my knowledge and experience are hard working and passionate. They require assistance in meaningful data management in the context of statutory compliances. 

As a policy,  when the company is not making profit , I only take re-imbursement of  expenses if any and I do not charge professional fees. This is not a recommendation or a suggestion , but this is my way of looking at things . There are instances where my clients have thoughtfully paid my professional fees when they turned black ,which I had not charged when they were in red

We understand that you are managing a charitable organization as well. Can you elaborate on that organization and what you are focusing to do from it?

 

My spectrum of  activities include marshalling resources for a  blind charitable organization, assisting people with low income on a need basis  , helping people who are incapacitated and who don’t have any one to support them and any other kind of help to any one as the situation requires. During this COVID period, I managed to supply food and medicines to a few needy peo

How do you see the CS profession in the years to come?

 

CS as a profession has evolved to a great extent  and I see that this profession in the years to come will elevate the role of CS as a compliance enabler and as a professional who enhances  the  importance and awareness of Corporate governance among the Corporate Fraternity.

 

What are the values the young professionals must have – your thoughts on this please.

For any professional irrespective of age, I think Humility , contentment and being straight laced is very important.

 

Interview by CS Mohankumar, Past Chairman ICSI SIRC

EXAM TIPS FOR CS STUDENTS – CS SNEHA MOHANKUMAR

Hello Friends, This is CS Sneha Mohankumar. Passed both groups of Executive in 1st attempt. Wrote Professional programs - one at a time and passed all of them at first attempt. 

I made few mistakes and learnt certain lessons the hard way- so wanted to share my learnings here. 

 

EXAM TIPS FOR CS STUDENTS – CS SNEHA MOHANKUMAR

·                  Be early to the exam center. Do not rush. Your mind has to be calm enough to think and understand what the question is actually about and to recollect what you have read. With COVID protocols in place there is bound to be checking the temperature, sanitizing etc, so kindly be present before an hour.

 

·         Those who have paid fees for exams, kindly write the exams without fail. Last session itself less number of people appeared and lot of people passed. We need fresh CS members as Corporates need them and my assumption is that Institute also need to send fresh members to a certain extent every year. Also just 2 more attempts in old syllabus & this will also help for a certain liberal valuation. Kindly do not miss this opportunity!

 

·         Finish all your packing (Stationaries, Admit card print out & attestation, checking the route for exam center) in the previous night itself. Do not postpone to last minute.

 

·         Read the question properly. Make sure you understand what is actually asked. Sometimes the questions are tricky & we may misunderstand and rush to write incorrect answer.

 

·         Time management is the key. The question paper pattern consists of six questions- plan to finish each question in 30 mins. If each question has 5 sub parts, plan to finish each sub part in 5 mins. You have to go through the past exam question paper to know the pattern and fix in your mind beforehand about your time management. Keep checking your time then and there. If you miss your time target, try to catch up in the next question itself. Do not accumulate your delay. You will end up not writing an entire question if time is not managed well. Also have the last 10 minutes as spare (free time). This is to check what you have written, to ensure you did not leave out any question. Sometimes you would have misunderstood the question and might have written something completely different. This last 10 minutes will help you to rectify your errors.

 

·         Attend everything. Some students tend to write only for 80 marks so that they could get 60 marks. Remember here that the person getting the first mark in the subject itself gets around 75 marks only, which shows that the one who wrote almost everything well gets 75 marks. So we must attempt everything.

 

·         There are always few very tough questions even for the rank holders, at times in compulsory questions. So, no one will know the answer for each and every question. What the examiner expects is your view and your understanding on the subject matter. So attend it even if you do not know the exact answer.

 

·         Trust yourself. Have confidence. You know the answer. You have been with this subject for the past 2-3 months or even more. You know the basic idea and intention of the subject.

 

·         Give equal weightage for each question. Some students write for pages to the questions they are confident and leave out the questions they are not sure of. Do not do this mistake. If the question’s mark is 5 mark- even if you write for 10 pages, the examiner could give maximum 3.5-4 marks only. Whereas, if you write your perspective or something connected to the questions you are not sure of, there is a chance that your perspective is right or atleast you will end up getting 0.5-1 mark for that question.

 

·         Whether the question paper is tough or easy should not affect you. If the question paper is tough, it will be tough for every student-not just you. If it is easy, it will be easy for every student- so do not be lethargic. The valuations might be strict if the question paper is easy.

 

·         Write for the entire 3 hours. Do not leave the exam hall in 2 or 2.5 hours. You have spent several months to read the subject. Utilize the full 3 hours of your time writing what you have studied.

 

·         Write what you know clearly first. It will boost your confidence. What you have written in the beginning will give the exact opinion about you to the examiner. If good opinion is formed, it will reflect for the rest of your answer paper. You can shuffle between questions. But do not shuffle between sub parts. Ie: If you know Question No’s 2 and 4 well, write them with all its sub parts. Never write Ques 2 (i), Followed by Question 3 (i). etc

 

·         Where there are choices, you may attempt a question which has more parts, if you know all answers. Ie: If one question has 3 parts and its alternate question has 4 parts, if you know the later one, better to select it, as marks will be given for 4 questions and you may gather more marks, provided you have sufficient time.

 

·         I have always written the exams to the point and precise and have not concentrated on the number of pages written. For 5 mark question I have always written 1 page- not more.

 

·         Even if you do not write 1 exam well (which has happened to me many times) never waste time in thinking about it or going through the Materials of the exams you already wrote. Instead, it should act as a stimulant to write next exam well and compensate. If you get 40 marks in the exam you did not do well, you can catch up in the next exams, for which you should not lose heart and write the remaining exams well

 

·         CS Executive - Writing MCQ paper- If you know the answer for only 50 questions, do not take risk. Write what you know. But if you are sure about 60-70 questions, you may try the other 30 questions ( atleast attend 90 questions). If one question is right, you will get one mark; whereas if 4 questions are wrong, you will lose 1 mark.

 

·         Writing CS exam is like a mind game. You should know to control your mind and keep it calm for 3 hours. Do not panic if you do not know answer for few questions and do not leave hope at any stage. Give your best! Your self-satisfaction that you have given your best is important. That will take you towards success.

All the best folks!!

CS Family- Interview with CS Sai Aditya and Cs Shobana

1. Kindly share your journey as a CS Student – where you studied and how long it took to complete the course

 CS Sai Aditya         

 Inspired from my cousin, Late Shri CS R Sudheendra Kumar, I have registered to the foundation course in 2004. I was one of the very few who were pursuing CS course in my native place ‘Nellore, Andhra Pradesh’. I still remember that some of my friends thought that I was studying Computer Science (CS). When I came for registration to Chennai, I really had no clue and I did not know Tamil language and I was very low on my English language. I really loved visiting to institute often and even used to do one day trip from Nellore to Chennai just to drop CC papers in the box kept at SIRC library. I had the opportunity to complete my training under Shri CS T Balasubramanian, who is one of the coolest personalities I have ever seen. Finally, I have completed CS final in the year 2007.

 CS Shobana

 I registered for CS in the Year 2011 immediately after completion of my graduation and completed the CS course in the Year 2015. Initially I had a doubt whether I am capable of doing CS or not because of language barrier. So I have appeared for only ‘One group’ in my first attempt. I have cleared that group in my first attempt. The success of examination raised confidence level in me. Taxation and Financial management were the toughest subjects for me which I cleared in my second attempt with the help of Shri CMA Bhaskar Swaminathan and Shri CA Mr. Rajasekaran R. I have to give special thanks to Shri CS Ms. Vasumathy V, my trainer, for guiding me from the day 1 to till now.

2. Where did you meet your spouse?

 CS Sai Aditya

 She is my relative and I met her in one of our relative family functions.

 CS Shobana

 He is my relative and I don’t remember our first meet as we know each other from our childhood. He was the one who pushed me to complete the CS Course. He was always there with me right from the registration to CS course.

 3. Kindly share about your family; is there any one in your family who has done CS or similar professional courses?

 CS Sai Aditya         

 My cousin Late Shri CS R Sudheendra Kumar, who also held qualifications from CMA and CIMA.

 My elder brother, Shri CS P Vijaya Saradhi.

 CS Shobana

 My elder sister Shri CA R Sreevidhya, all India Rank holder in CA Inter & Final. She is my first teacher and the one who is real inspiration for me to join CS.

 4. What are the positives and challenges in husband and wife being in the same profession?

 CS Sai Aditya & CS Shobana

 We really don’t discuss much on the professional matters at home. Whenever we have doubt, we seek each other’s help.

 Positive          : We understand each other’s work pressure easily and accordingly adjust.

 Challenges   : It’s tough to lie to each other about work.

 5. One of you is employed and the other is practicing; Is that a planned move. Tell us about your journey in corporate

 CS Sai Aditya         

 I have never thought of practicing ever since I joined this course. I always wanted to be in employment. I joined as an Assistant Company Secretary in 2008 and moved to a listed company as Company Secretary very next year. After that, I moved to Technology (IT) Sector Company to pursue my finance career along with Company Secretary Role. Thereafter, I haven’t turned back and I have got experience in various interesting areas throughout my last 13 years like Income Tax assessments, Transfer Pricing compliances, GST, Customs, SEZ/STPI, Financial Accounting etc.

 CS Shobana

 I never thought of doing practice as I always wanted to go for an employment. I was not able to continue my employment due to my maternity. Hence, I started up my own practice and slowly settling down.

 6. If there is an option for both of you to work in the same office – either in employment or in practice, would you take it?

  CS Sai Aditya

       200% I will be on the other side only. I can’t compete with her and I surrender.

 CS Shobana

 Big ‘No’.

 7. How do you think that the profession will grow in the coming years?

 CS Sai Aditya         

 We need to expand our horizons and guide our future generation to be subject matter expert not only in Companies Act but also in Income Tax, GST, Customs laws, HR laws and other corporate laws. Corporates should recruit qualified CS by considering subject matter expertise in various corporate laws but not for the sake of compliance to Companies Act.

 CS Shobana

 I echo the above and always wanted people to recognise that Company Secretaries can not only expertise in Secretarial compliances but also capable of becoming expert in other areas.

 

Interview by: CS Mohan Kumar, Past Chairman ICSI SIRC