New Delhi, Aug 28: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Friday said good corporate governance and professional excellence are central to India's development and stressed the expanding role of Company Secretaries in strengthening the country's governance ecosystem.
Dr Jitendra Singh made the remarks during an interaction with a delegation of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), which invited him as Guest of Honour for the presentation ceremony of the 26th ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance, scheduled to be held in 2027.
The Minister said corporate professionals have an important role in promoting responsible governance, ethical practices and institutional accountability. He called for greater contribution from Company Secretaries towards India's economic growth and strengthening governance standards across the corporate sector.
He emphasised that professional excellence and good governance must go hand in hand and called for a stronger culture of ethical entrepreneurship, transparency and accountability.
Dr Jitendra Singh also highlighted the role of professional institutions such as ICSI in raising governance standards and promoting institutional excellence. He appreciated efforts by professional bodies to continuously update their standards and practices in response to emerging requirements.
The Minister said organisations and individuals demonstrating excellence in corporate governance should be recognised and encouraged.
He also noted that the role of Company Secretaries has expanded beyond their traditional responsibilities, particularly in strengthening governance systems and supporting institutions through professional expertise.
Dr Jitendra Singh took note of ICSI's initiatives in Panchayat and local-body governance and appreciated its efforts to develop manuals and training material in multiple languages.
He also praised the institute's digital initiatives, including electronic voting and preferential voting systems for its elections.
The ICSI delegation briefed the Minister about the institute's activities and said it has more than 80,000 members and around 2.5 lakh students.
The interaction also covered ICSI's initiatives on professional and secretarial standards, corporate governance and its Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to excellence in corporate governance.
