ICAI: Digital training diary mandatory for CA students during articleship; a major decision by ICAI..
ICAI: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has made the digital practical training diary, or e-diary, mandatory for Chartered Accountancy (CA) students. This system will be applicable from January 1, 2026, to all students who begin their articleship training.
In an official note, the ICAI stated that the objective of this initiative is to strengthen the monitoring of articleship training, bring uniformity in the level of training across different firms, reduce reliance on manual records, and digitally record information related to stipends.
Initiative to Make Articleship Training More Structured and Transparent
According to the ICAI, this step has been taken to make practical training more structured, transparent, and aligned with the evolving needs of the profession. The e-diary will serve as a centralized digital platform where article trainees will record their daily attendance and details of the tasks performed.
This will provide timely, verified, and record-based data on practical training, creating digital proof of students' work experience.
Platform Developed by the Board of Studies
The e-diary platform has been developed by the ICAI's Board of Studies (Operations) in collaboration with the Members and Student Services Directorate. This platform is designed in line with the ICAI's Competency-Based Training Framework to ensure uniformity in the monitoring and evaluation of articleship training across the country.
What the ICAI President Said
ICAI President Charanjot Singh Nanda said that the e-diary will be an authentic digital record of articleship training. This will not only increase transparency in the activities of article trainees but also facilitate the identification of emerging areas of professional exposure. He added that this system will simplify administrative processes for both students and principals.
How the ICAI E-Diary Will Work
Through the e-diary, article trainees will digitally record their daily attendance and details of the tasks performed. All entries will be automatically recorded with timestamps. The work details entered by the trainee will be submitted for review every fortnight. The concerned principal will then be able to provide feedback and approve the entries within the stipulated timeframe. If approval is not received within the specified time, it will be considered automatically approved (Deemed Approval).
Students will have the following facilities:
Ability to modify their entries
Ability to track approval status
Access to the e-diary through the Self-Service Portal (SSP) login
This system will be compliant with ICAI's Training Regulations and will also be linked to Form 109 wherever applicable. In addition, it will digitally display stipend-related information.
Helps improve training quality and identify skill gaps
According to ICAI, the e-diary will bring uniformity to training and learning outcomes. It will facilitate regular review of work experience, identification of skill gaps, and prioritization of training areas. This system will also streamline administrative processes such as stipend records, leave tracking, and training completion.
Beneficial for CA Principals as well
CA Principals will receive real-time information on the attendance and work done by their article trainees through this platform. This will enable better mentoring, quality control, and training monitoring. Digital approvals, MIS reports, and system alerts will reduce the need for manual record-keeping, thereby decreasing the administrative burden.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
