(1) Any of the following persons shall be entitled to have his name entered in the ¹[Register of members], namely:

(a) any person who immediately before the commencement of this Act was an Associate or a Fellow (including an Honorary Fellow) of the dissolved company;

(b) any person who is a holder of the Diploma in Company Secretaryship awarded by the Government of India;

(c) any person who has passed the examinations conducted by the dissolved company and has completed training either as specified by the dissolved company or as prescribed by the Council, except any such person who is not a permanent resident of India;

(d) any person who has passed such examination and completed such training, as may be prescribed for membership of the Institute;

(e) any person who has passed such other examination and completed such other training ²[outside India] as is recognised by the Central Government or the Council as being equivalent to the examination and training prescribed under this Act for membership of the Institute:

Provided that in the case of any person belonging to any of the classes mentioned in this sub-section who is not permanently residing in India, the Central Government or the Council may impose such further conditions as it may deem to be necessary or expedient in the public interest.

(2) Every person belonging to the class mentioned in clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (1) shall have his name entered in the Register without the payment of any entrance fee.
³[(3) Every person belonging to any of the classes mentioned in clauses (c), (d) and (e) of sub-section (1) shall have his name entered in the Register on application being made and granted in the prescribed manner and on payment of such fees, as may be determined, by notification, by the Council, [⁴***]:
⁵* * * * *].

(4) The. Central Government may take such steps as may be necessary for the purpose of having the names of all persons belonging to the classes mentioned in clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (1) entered in the Register at the commencement of this Act.

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, the Council may confer on any person Honorary Fellow Membership, if the Council is of the opinion that such person has made a significant contribution to the profession of Company Secretaries and thereupon the Council shall enter the name of such person in the Register but such person shall not have any voting rights in any election or meetings of the Institute and shall not also be required to pay any fee to the Institute.


1 Subs. by Act 12 of 2022, s. 75, for “Register” (w.e.f 10-5-2022).
2 Subs. by ibid., s. 75, for “without India” (w.e.f.10-5-2022).
3. Subs. by Act 8 of 2006, s. 4, for sub-section (3) (w.e.f. 8-8-2006).
4 The words “which shall not exceed rupees three thousand” omitted by Act 12 of 2022, s. 75 (w.e.f.10-5-2022).
5 The proviso omitted by s. 75, ibid., (w.e.f. 10-5-2022).