ICAI Makes E-Diary Mandatory for Articled Trainees Starting Practical Training from 2026

For all the candidates who follow ICAI, here is a new update which can be beneficial for them. ICAI has taken an initiative by introducing a mandatory digital E-Diary system for the article trainees, which has already been implemented starting from January 1, 2026. 

The Goal of this is to improve and strengthen transparency, standardisation and to digitally monitor the process of practical training undertaken by the Chartered Accountancy students.

Note, all CA students will now need to maintain a training record, which can be done through the E-Dairy platform. As this has started for all the students starting their articleship from 2026 onwards. 

What Is the ICAI E-Diary System?

This is the new implementation meant to keep digital records and to document data properly:

• Daily attendance
• Nature of tasks performed
• Stipend payment details
• Leave and training progress 

This new practice is introduced to replace all the effort of manual diaries and to make the process easy, and to ensure uniformity in training standards across all the firms and locations.   

This is new, but it is not difficult, as the E-Dairy is integrated with the self-service portal of the ICAI’s making it again easy to use, as all the trainees can now log in with their same credentials and can perform the activity of linking with Form 109, which makes the entire thing easy, allowing seamless documentation in the case of article termination, if applicable. 

How the E-Diary Will Function

• This is non-negotiable, Articled trainees must submit details of tasks performed on a fortnightly basis
• Now, no human is require and the system will validate submissions for completeness
• Principals will review the entries and may suggest modifications
• Trainees must revise and resubmit entries within seven days if corrections are required
• Stipend payment details will be digitally recorded and reflected during the first fortnight of payment

Trainees will be able to:

• Now not only view but also track the past submissions
• Edit or delete entries before final submission
• Monitor approval status in real time

Benefits of the E-Diary for CA Students

Standardised Training Experience

The system promotes consistency in articleship training, ensuring comparable learning exposure and outcomes for trainees across firms.

Self-Monitoring and Skill Development

By regularly reviewing recorded tasks, trainees can identify skill gaps and focus on areas such as auditing, taxation, consultancy, or emerging professional domains.

Enhanced Professional Awareness

The E-Diary enables both trainees and principals to assess time spent across various assignments, helping plan secondments or exposure to new practice areas where required.

Administrative Simplicity

Digital tracking of attendance, stipend, and leave reduces paperwork and simplifies compliance-related formalities.

Advantages for CA Principals

• Improved Supervision - Principals gain real-time visibility into attendance, task allocation, and work performed, enabling better mentoring and guidance.
• Quality Control - Data-driven insights help identify strengths and weaknesses of trainees, improving training effectiveness at both individual and batch levels.
• Reduced Administrative Load - The digital approval system, automated reports, and alerts replace manual diary maintenance, making compliance easier and more efficient.

Alignment with ICAI Training Guidelines

ICAI has clarified that the E-Diary framework is fully aligned with its existing training regulations. The digital records will serve as an official reference for monitoring articleship completion, compliance checks, and training evaluations.

Conclusion

This step is taken to increase the transparency for both the trainees and principals. Along with that, this initiative of the mandatory E-Diary system is meant to digitalise and standardise the articled training. The core issue this initiative is solving is reducing administrative burden, and enhancing the overall quality of practical training in the Chartered Accountancy course.

Candidates planning to begin their articleship from January 2026 onwards are advised to familiarise themselves with the new system through the ICAI Self-Service Portal.