Big Change in CA Articleship: ICAI Makes E-Diary Mandatory for Students from January 2026

Big news for CA students in India! The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has made e-diary mandatory for articleship training. This digital practical training diary will track CA students' articleship work completely online. The new rule came into force from 1st January 2026 for all students beginning training after this date.

ICAI's Digital Push for Better Articleship Training

According to ICAI, this is done to enhance articleship monitoring among firms. The e-diary also introduces consistency in terms of training and minimizes the use of manual records. The information on stipends becomes completely digital. This change should be observed by CA students who are planning articleship registration  in 2026.

Board of Studies (Operations) designed the e-diary platform with assistance of Members and Students Services Directorate. It can be correlated to the competency-based training approach of ICAI to provide uniform monitoring of a country.

ICAI President remarks on the E-Diary Advantages

ICAI President Charanjot Singh Nanda said, "E-diary creates authentic digital records of articleship training. It brings transparency to trainee activities and reveals new professional areas students explore. The system simplifies administration for students and principals alike."

How ICAI E-Diary Works for CA Students

CA trainees mark attendance and work online. Every record receives time-stamps. Students provide summary reports of work two times a month to the principal. Approval is done within time limits by the principals or an automatic approval is made.

E-Diary Features for CA Students

The students of ICAI receive a number of advantages:

• Make amendments to entries prior to approval.
• Track approval status live
• Login on Self Service Portal (SSP).
• Stipend books are completely computerized.
• Form 109 integration where necessary.

How E-Diary Boosts Training Quality

The platform delivers verified, time-bound work records. It identifies skill gaps and prioritizes training focus areas. Leave tracking, stipend management, and completion certificates turn paperless.

Benefits for CA Principals

Firms get real-time access to:

• Trainee attendance
• Work progress
• Mentoring opportunities
• Quality control
• Digital MIS reports and alerts

Manual paperwork burden drops significantly.

Who Needs an E-Diary? Complete Timeline

Category	E-Diary Status	Start Date
New trainees (post 1 Jan 2026)	Mandatory	1 January 2026
Ongoing trainees	Manual diary	No change
Stipend records	Fully digital	Immediate

Impact on CA Articleship 2026

This reform impacts the articleship planning of lakhs of CA students. Before the students begin training, they will have to learn the e-diary platform. Principals should ensure that they become approved in time to prevent deemed approvals.

What CA Students need to do now

• E-diary is available on Visit ICAI Self Service Portal.
• Review biannual submission procedure.
• Make sure there is a stable internet in the day-to-day entries.
• Monitor key milestones of the track.

The Future of CA Training in India

The e-diary developed by ICAI is a significant digital advancement in chartered accountancy education. Experts refer to it as an article monitoring revolution. The system will enhance improved skill development and professional accountability. 

To get the latest updates, visit ICAI official announcements.