Maharashtra HSC Secretarial Practice study guide
Maharashtra HSC Secretarial Practice · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Secretarial Practice is a Maharashtra State Board HSC subject taken by Std XII commerce students, and it is also chosen by candidates preparing for company-secretary and corporate-law entrance routes. It introduces the working life of a company secretary: how a company raises and structures capital, issues shares and debentures, keeps members informed through formal correspondence, pays dividend and interest, and conducts board and general meetings lawfully. The Maharashtra HSC Secretarial Practice study guide has 10 sections and about 3,577 words.
01Introduction to Corporate Finance and Capital Structure
Corporate finance studies how a company raises, invests and returns funds. The exam tests fixed versus working capital, the difference between capital structure and financial structure, and the effect of trading on equity.
332 words, about 2 min02Sources of Corporate Finance
The exam tests whether you can classify a source of finance correctly and choose it using cost, risk, control and obligation. Equity shares: permanent capital, voting rights, dividend only when declared, residual claim on assets.
324 words, about 2 min03Issue and Allotment of Shares
The exam tests the lawful route from an offer of shares to a valid allotment, and the numbers attached to each stage. Public issue through a prospectus, including IPO or FPO; book building is the price discovery route for large issues.
370 words, about 2 min04Depository System and Dematerialisation
The Depositories Act 1996 replaced paper certificates with electronic records. The exam tests the vocabulary - depository, participant, beneficial owner, ISIN - and the sequence of a dematerialised transfer.
327 words, about 2 min05Correspondence with Members and Debenture Holders
The exam tests the format and tone of a company's letters to members and debenture holders, plus the statutory content each letter must carry. Allotment letter stating shares allotted and amount adjusted; letter of regret when no allotment is made, enclosing the refund.
353 words, about 2 min06Dividend and Interest
The exam tests the sources from which dividend may be paid, the statutory timelines, and the difference between dividend and debenture interest. Dividend (Sec 2(35)) is paid on paid-up capital and is declared by members at the AGM on the Board's recommendation; the Board may declare an interim dividend (Sec 123(3)).
372 words, about 2 min07Financial Markets and Stock Exchange
The exam tests the money market and capital market split, the functions of a stock exchange, and the language of settlement and speculation. Money market: instruments of one year or less - call money, treasury bills, commercial paper, certificates of deposit; regulated by the RBI.
307 words, about 2 min08Management of Meetings and Company Secretary's Role
The exam tests which meeting must be held when, who may call it, and what the Company Secretary must do before and after it. Board meeting: first within 30 days of incorporation, then at least four a year with a gap of not more than 120 days (Sec 173).
430 words, about 2 min09Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics
The exam tests the Section 135 thresholds, the 2% computation, treatment of unspent amounts, and the distinction between ethics and mere legality. Section 135 applies if, in the immediately preceding financial year, the company has net worth of ₹500 crore or more, turnover of ₹1,000 crore or more, or net profit of ₹5 crore or more.
378 words, about 2 min10Recent Developments and Current Affairs in Corporate Law and Finance
The exam tests whether you know the reforms that have changed company and market practice since the Companies Act 2013, and can use them without quoting outdated numbers. The Companies (Amendment) Act 2020 decriminalised several minor offences, moving them to civil penalties imposed by adjudicating officers; failure to spend CSR is no longer a criminal offence.
384 words, about 2 min