The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has taken a major step towards digitising the Chartered Accountancy training ecosystem. From January 1, 2026, ICAI has made it mandatory for CA students starting their practical training to use a newly launched digital platform called the ICAI E-Diary. This initiative aims to bring transparency, standardisation, and efficiency to the articleship training process by digitally recording every important detail related to a student’s training.
The ICAI E-Diary is an online platform designed for CA article trainees undergoing practical training. Through this system, students will maintain a digital record of their daily attendance, nature of work performed, learning outcomes, leaves, and stipend details. Instead of manual registers and paperwork, all information will now be stored, reviewed, and approved online.
According to ICAI, this move aligns practical training with the institute’s competency framework, ensuring that future Chartered Accountants develop relevant skills in a structured and measurable manner.
ICAI stated in its official release that the primary objectives behind launching the E-Diary are:
To ensure uniform training standards across the country
To enable skill mapping and performance monitoring
To improve transparency and accountability during articleship
To create a digitally verified record of practical experience
The platform has been developed by ICAI’s Board of Studies, Student Services Directorate, and members of the institute to strengthen the overall quality of articleship training.
The E-Diary platform comes with several structured features that both students and principals must follow. Key operational aspects include:
Daily Attendance and Work Records: Article trainees must regularly record their attendance and details of work performed during training.
Stipend Details: Once the stipend is paid, its information must be uploaded on the platform, creating a verified digital proof.
Mandatory Updates: Entries must be updated within the first 15 days of training, and thereafter, work details need to be submitted every 15 days. Failure to do so may block submissions.
Principal Review and Approval: The principal (employer) can review, suggest changes, and approve entries directly on the same platform.
Access to Past Records: Students can view earlier submissions, make corrections as advised, and track approval status online at any time.
CA students can access the ICAI E-Diary using their SSP (Self Service Portal) credentials. The platform is also integrated with Form 109, which is used in cases of termination or dismissal, wherever applicable. Additionally, the system allows matching of entered data with ICAI’s official training guidelines, ensuring compliance.
ICAI President CA Charanjot Singh Nanda described the E-Diary as a digitally validated and authenticated record of every article trainee’s experience. He highlighted that the platform will help students showcase their expertise while saving time, improving transparency, and identifying emerging training areas.
Some major benefits for students include:
Standardised Training Quality across all articleship firms
Regular monitoring of performance and learning progress
Identification of skill gaps for continuous improvement
Digital proof of stipend payment and leave records
Timely completion of training formalities without paperwork delays
One of the biggest advantages of the E-Diary is the elimination of manual paperwork. All records related to articleship completion, stipend compliance, and work exposure will now be digitally available, making audits and verifications smoother for both ICAI and students.
To help users adapt, ICAI has also released a detailed E-Diary User Manual, which explains the step-by-step process of using the portal. This ensures that students and principals can easily understand and comply with the new system.
It is important to note that articleship training is compulsory for every CA student, and with the introduction of the E-Diary, maintaining digital records has now become an integral part of this process. Students beginning their practical training from January 1, 2026, must follow this system without exception.
The launch of the ICAI E-Diary marks a significant digital transformation in CA practical training. By ensuring transparency, accountability, and uniform standards, the platform is expected to enhance the overall quality of future Chartered Accountants. For students, it not only simplifies compliance but also creates a strong, verifiable professional record that can add long-term value to their careers.
