The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has introduced a digital platform, called the E-Diary, to record attendance and work performed by articled trainees during their practical training period. The E-Diary will be mandatory for all CA students commencing practical training from January 1, 2026, according to an official statement.
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The initiative has been launched by the ICAI Board of Studies (Operations) along with the Members and Student Services Directorate, in view of the increasing use of digital systems across professional education and training.
The E-Diary, officially titled the Digital Practical Training Diary, allows articled trainees to record their daily attendance and tasks performed in a structured digital format. Entries are captured in real time once submitted on the system. Details related to stipend payments are also recorded and displayed, typically within the first fortnight after payment, according to an official statement.
The platform has been designed to bring uniformity and transparency in the monitoring of articled training and to digitally track compliance with ICAI’s practical training requirements. It also aims to map skill development and align training outcomes with ICAI’s competency framework.
Submission, review, and approval process
Under the new system, trainees are required to submit details of tasks performed on a fortnightly basis. The platform checks submissions for completeness and flags incomplete entries. Once submitted, the principal reviews the entries and may suggest modifications related to the tasks recorded.
Trainees are required to incorporate the suggested changes and resubmit the entries within seven days. The principal then has another seven days to approve the submission. If no action is taken within this period, the system treats the entry as deemed approved, according to an official statement.
Access and system integration
Students can access the E-Diary using their Self-Service Portal (SSP) login credentials. The platform allows trainees to view past entries, edit or delete records before submission, and track the approval status of each submission.
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The E-Diary is also integrated with other ICAI processes. It links with Form 109 in cases of termination of articleship and aligns recorded data with ICAI’s existing training guidelines, ensuring consistency across administrative and academic records.
Benefits for CA principals
According to ICAI, the digital platform also provides benefits for CA principals overseeing articled trainees. Principals gain real-time visibility into attendance records, trainee profiles, and tasks assigned and performed. This is intended to support mentoring and structured supervision during the training period.
The system generates data-based insights that can help principals identify training gaps, monitor individual or group performance, and ensure adherence to prescribed training standards. The use of digital approvals, system alerts, and management information system (MIS) reports is also expected to reduce reliance on manual record-keeping and streamline compliance processes.
