Perseverance, Commitment and Passion have led a mere 19-year-old boy from Mumbai to secure 6th rank in the Top 10 positions throughout India and 1st rank in Thane district in the Company Secretaries (CS) Professional Examination – one of the country’s most competitive exams.
Sounds Meh? Don’t go by the name of the course! An applicant who has successfully cleared this examination can become an executive personnel holding a senior position in a big company.
How? Read below to find out more.
Who is this 19-year-old Intellectual?
Mohammed Shehzaan Shabbir Ali Dodhia, a resident of Mumbra (a town in Thane district – a suburb of Mumbai), has cleared his Company Secretaries (CS) Professional examination in June 2023, securing 6th rank all over India and 1st rank from Thane district. What makes his achievement more noteworthy is that he has secured this position on his first attempt at the exam. It is not uncommon to secure a higher rank when students reattempt an exam; therefore, his achievement at the first attempt is highly praiseworthy.
What is the Company Secretary (CS) Course?
In the words of Mohammed Shehzaan, “CS is a professional course which can be done after you complete your 12th standard (HSC) board exam. It is the best course for anyone who has an interest in the law field and is inclined more towards the secretarial part. You have to understand the subject of secretarial practice in class 11, as that is the basis of your CS exam preparations. The passing percentage for these exams is always 5-8 percent, not more than that. That is why this is one of the biggest and toughest national exams.”
A Company Secretary is a senior position in a citizen sector establishment. Also known as a Compliance Officer, a Company Secretary is responsible for the efficient administration of a company, particularly with regard to ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and for ensuring that decisions of the board of directors are implemented. Company secretaries are the primary source of advice on the conduct of business, and this can span everything from legal advice on conflicts of interest, through accounting advice on financial reports, to the development of strategy and corporate planning. *
*(Company secretary – Wikipedia)
What was the source of motivation and support for Mohammed Shehzaan?
When speaking about motivation and support, Mohammed Shehzaan mentioned, “Basically, the thing which motivated me the most is my family. My mother made my breakfast early in the morning during my exams; my father dropped me at the exam centre for all papers; my brother told me that I would get a rank (top position); and Alhamdulillah, I secured a rank.”
Mohammed Shehzaan received assistance from the World Federation through the KSI Jamaat Mumbai, which significantly contributed to his intermediate and final examinations. He also received support from a few other organisations on the ground. “The support from my family, plus the support and assistance I got from the organisations, motivated me to undertake such a big exam of my career, and at the age of 19, I have cleared this exam. This is the biggest achievement for me because the passing percentage is only 5%, and to be in that 5% is already an accomplishment, but out of that 5%, to stand in the top 10 all-India rank is a feat and a level of happiness that I can still feel right now. I have received calls from many big companies to join them, so you can guess this course’s reputation,” he concluded.
Any message that Mohammed Shehzaan would like to share?
When asked if he has any message to share to fellow students in the community, Mohammed Shehzaan said: “I want to give a message to younger students who have just cleared (passed) their 12th standard (HSC). I would suggest to you all to analyse your interest especially after 12th standard many students join call centres; that’s a big mistake. Don’t make such a mistake. You need to be a professional and the call centre is temporary not permanent (solution). You need to be a professional so do your research about some professional course and then see what’s going on in your mind, what you want to do. If you are a student in India and have:
- Commerce background: There is a lot of scope in courses like Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA).
- Science background: You can also try IIT (B.Tech, M.Tech and Dual Degree), competitive National Eligibility cum Entrance test (NEET) for medical aspirants and Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for engineering aspirants.
- Arts background: Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and the best and most challenging national exam – UPSC (Union Public Service Commission). If you crack UPSC or have cracked UPSC, then hats off to you!
I believe that we need more professionals who can even support the community when in need, be it Finance – CA, Law – CS, Emergency – IAS.
I hope that as I have been able to make it, you can too! We can do it!”
The Khojanews team congratulates Mohammed Shehzaan, his family and the organisations that supported him for his incredible accomplishment. We wish Mohammed Shehzaan the very best for his future and pray to Allah (swt) to grant him success in all his endeavours, Ameen.