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THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013
CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY
- Short title, extent, commencement and application.
- Definitions.
CHAPTER II
INCORPORATION OF COMPANY AND MATTERS INCIDENTAL THERETO
- Formation of company.
- Memorandum.
- Articles.
- Act to override memorandum, articles, etc.
- Incorporation of company.
- Formation of companies with charitable objects, etc.
- Effect of registration.
- Effect of memorandum and articles.
- [Omitted].
- Registered office of company.
- Alteration of memorandum.
- Alteration of articles.
- Alteration of memorandum or articles to be noted in every copy.
- Rectification of name of company.
- Copies of memorandum, articles, etc., to be given to members.
- Conversion of companies already registered.
- Subsidiary company not to hold shares in its holding company.
- Service of documents.
- Authentication of documents, proceedings and contracts.
- Execution of bills of exchange, etc.
CHAPTER III
PROSPECTUS AND ALLOTMENT OF SECURITIES
PART I.—Public offer
- Public offer and private placement.
- Power of Securities and Exchange Board to regulate issue and transfer of securities, etc.
- Document containing offer of securities for sale to be deemed prospectus.
- Matters to be stated in prospectus.
- Variation in terms of contract or objects in prospectus.
- Offer of sale of shares by certain members of company.
- Public offer of securities to be in dematerialised form.
- Advertisement of prospectus.
- Shelf prospectus.
- Red herring prospectus.
- Issue of application forms for securities.
- Criminal liability for mis-statements in prospectus.
- Civil liability for mis-statements in prospectus.
- Punishment for fraudulently inducing persons to invest money.
- Action by affected persons.
- Punishment for personation for acquisition, etc., of securities.
- Allotment of securities by company.
- Securities to be dealt with in stock exchanges.
- Global depository receipt.
PART II.—Private placement
- Offer or invitation for subscription of securities on private placement.
CHAPTER IV
SHARE CAPITAL AND DEBENTURES
- Kinds of share capital.
- Nature of shares or debentures.
- Numbering of shares.
- Certificate of shares.
- Voting rights
- Variation of shareholders‘ rights.
- Calls on shares of same class to be made on uniform basis.
- Company to accept unpaid share capital, although not called up.
- Payment of dividend in proportion to amount paid-up.
- Application of premiums received on issue of shares.
- Prohibition on issue of shares at discount.
- Issues of sweat equity shares.
- Issue and redemption of preference shares.
- Transfer and transmission of securities.
- Punishment for personation of shareholder.
- Refusal of registration and appeal against refusal.
- Rectification of register of members.
- Publication of authorised, subscribed and paid-up capital.
- Power of limited company to alter its share capital.
- Further issue of share capital.
- Issue of bonus shares.
- Notice to be given to Registrar for alteration of share capital.
- Unlimited company to provide for reserve share capital on conversion into limited company.
- Reduction of share capital.
- Restrictions on purchase by company or giving of loans by it for purchase of its shares.
- Power of company to purchase its own securities.
- Transfer of certain sums to capital redemption reserve account.
- Prohibition for buy-back in certain circumstances.
- Debentures.
- Power to nominate.
CHAPTERV
ACCEPTANCE OF DEPOSITS BY COMPANIES
- Prohibition on acceptance of deposits from public.
- Repayment of deposits, etc., accepted before commencement of this Act.
- Damages for fraud.
- Acceptance of deposits from public by certain companies.
76A. Punishment for contravention of section 73 or section 76.
CHAPTER VI
REGISTRATION OF CHARGES
- Duty to register charges, etc.
- Application for registration of charge.
- Section 77 to apply in certain matters.
- Date of notice of charge.
- Register of charges to be kept by Registrar.
- Company to report satisfaction of charge.
- Power of Registrar to make entries of satisfaction and release in absence of intimation from company.
- Intimation of appointment of receiver or manager.
- Company‘s register of charges.
- Punishment for contravention.
- Rectification by Central Government in register of charges.
CHAPTER VII
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
- Register of members, etc.
- Declaration in respect of beneficial interest in any share.
- Investigation of beneficial ownership of shares in certain cases.
- Power to close register of members or debenture holders or other security holders.
- Annual return.
- Return to be filed with Registrar in case promoters‘ stake changes.
- Place of keeping and inspection of registers, returns, etc.
- Registers, etc., to be evidence.
- Annual general meeting.
- Power of Tribunal to call annual general meeting.
- Power of Tribunal to call meetings of members, etc.
- Punishment for default in complying with provisions of sections 96 to 98.
- Calling of extraordinary general meeting.
- Notice of meeting.
- Statement to be annexed to notice.
- Quorum for meetings.
- Chairman of meetings.
- Proxies.
- Restriction on voting rights.
- Voting by show of hands.
- Voting through electronic means.
- Demand for poll.
- Postal ballot.
- Circulation of members‘ resolution.
- Representation of President and Governors in meetings.
- Representation of corporations at meeting of companies and of creditors.
- Ordinary and special resolutions.
- Resolutions requiring special notice.
- Resolutions passed at adjourned meeting.
- Resolutions and agreements to be filed.
- Minutes of proceedings of general meeting, meeting of Board of Directors and other meeting and resolutions passed by postal ballot.
- Inspection of minute-books of general meeting.
- Maintenance and inspection of documents in electronic form.
- Report on annual general meeting.
- Applicability of this Chapter to One Person Company.
CHAPTER VIII
DECLARATION AND PAYMENT OF DIVIDEND
- Declaration of dividend.
- Unpaid Dividend Account.
- Investor Education and Protection Fund.
- Right to dividend, rights shares and bonus shares to be held in abeyance pending registration of transfer of shares.
- Punishment for failure to distribute dividends.
CHAPTER IX
ACCOUNTS OF COMPANIES
- Books of account, etc., to be kept by company.
- Financial statement.
- Re-opening of accounts on court‘s or Tribunal‘s orders.
- Voluntary revision of financial statements or Board‘s report.
- Constitution of National Financial Reporting Authority.
- Central Government to prescribe accounting standards
- Financial statement, Board‘s report, etc.
- Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Right of member to copies of audited financial statement.
- Copy of financial statement to be filed with Registrar.
- Internal Audit.
CHAPTER X
AUDIT AND AUDITORS
- Appointment of auditors.
- Removal, resignation of auditor and giving of special notice.
- Eligibility, qualifications and disqualifications of auditors.
- Remuneration of auditors.
- Powers and duties of auditors and auditing standards.
- Auditor not to render certain services.
- Auditor to sign audit reports, etc.
- Auditors to attend general meeting.
- Punishment for contravention.
- Central Government to specify audit of items of cost in respect of certain companies.
CHAPTER XI
APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS OF DIRECTORS
- Company to have Board of Directors.
- Manner of selection of independent directors and maintenance of data bank of independent directors.
- Appointment of director elected by small shareholders.
- Appointment of directors.
- Application for allotment of Director Identification Number.
- Allotment of Director Identification Number.
- Prohibition to obtain more than one Director Identification Number.
- Director to intimate Director Identification Number.
- Company to inform Director Identification Number to Registrar.
- Obligation to indicate Director Identification Number.
- Punishment for contravention.
- Right of persons other than retiring directors to stand for directorship.
- Appointment of additional director, alternate director and nominee director.
- Appointment of directors to be voted individually.
- Option to adopt principle of proportional representation for appointment of directors.
- Disqualifications for appointment of director.
- Number of directorships.
- Duties of directors.
- Vacation of office of director.
- Resignation of director.
- Removal of directors.
- Register of directors and key managerial personnel and their shareholding.
- Members‘ right to inspect.
- Punishment.
CHAPTER XII
MEETINGS OF BOARD AND ITS POWERS
- Meetings of Board.
- Quorum for meetings of Board.
- Passing of resolution by circulation.
- Defects in appointment of directors not to invalidate actions taken.
- Audit committee.
- Nomination and Remuneration Committee and Stakeholders Relationship Committee.
- Powers of Board.
- Restrictions on powers of Board.
- Company to contribute to bona fide and charitable funds, etc.
- Prohibitions and restrictions regarding political contributions.
- Power of Board and other persons to make contributions to national defence fund, etc.
- Disclosure of interest by director.
- Loan to directors, etc.
- Loan and investment by company.
- Investments of company to be held in its own name.
- Related party transactions.
- Register of contracts or arrangements in which directors are interested.
- Contract of employment with managing or whole-time directors.
- Payment to director for loss of office, etc., in connection with transfer of undertaking, property or shares.
- Restriction on non-cash transactions involving directors.
- Contract by One Person Company.
- Prohibition on forward dealings in securities of company by director or key managerial personnel.
- Prohibition on insider trading of securities.
CHAPTER XIII
APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION OF MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL
- Appointment of managing director, whole-time director or manager.
- Overall maximum managerial remuneration and managerial remuneration in case of absence or inadequacy of profits.
- Calculation of profits.
- Recovery of remuneration in certain cases.
- Central Government or company to fix limit with regard to remuneration.
- Forms of, and procedure in relation to, certain applications.
- Compensation for loss of office of managing or whole-time director or manager.
- Appointment of key managerial personnel.
- Secretarial audit for bigger companies.
- Functions of company secretary.
CHAPTER XIV
INSPECTION, INQUIRY AND INVESTIGATION
- Power to call for information, inspect books and conduct inquiries.
- Conduct of inspection and inquiry.
- Report on inspection made.
- Search and seizure.
- Investigation into affairs of company.
- Establishment of Serious Fraud Investigation Office.
- Investigation into affairs of company by Serious Fraud Investigation Office.
- Investigation into company‘s affairs in other cases.
- Security for payment of costs and expenses of investigation.
- Firm, body corporate or association not to be appointed as inspector.
- Investigation of ownership of company.
- Procedure, powers, etc., of inspectors.
- Protection of employees during investigation.
- Power of inspector to conduct investigation into affairs of related companies, etc.
- Seizure of documents by inspector.
- Freezing of assets of company on inquiry and investigation.
- Imposition of restrictions upon securities.
- Inspector‘s report.
- Actions to be taken in pursuance of inspector‘s report.
- Expenses of investigation.
- Voluntary winding up of company, etc., not to stop investigation proceedings.
- Legal advisers and bankers not to disclose certain information.
- Investigation, etc., of foreign companies.
- Penalty for furnishing false statement, mutilation, destruction of documents.
CHAPTER XV
COMPROMISES, ARRANGEMENTS AND AMALGAMATIONS
- Power to compromise or make arrangements with creditors and members.
- Power to Tribunal to enforce compromise or arrangement.
- Merger and amalgamation of companies.
- Merger or amalgamation of certain companies.
- Merger or amalgamation of company with foreign company.
- Power to acquire shares of shareholders dissenting from scheme or contract approved by majority.
- Purchase of minority shareholding.
- Power of Central Government to provide for amalgamation of companies in public interest.
- Registration of offer of schemes involving transfer of shares.
- Preservation of books and papers of amalgamated companies.
- Liability of officers in respect of offences committed prior to merger, amalgamation, etc.
CHAPTER XVI
PREVENTION OF OPPRESSION AND MISMANAGEMENT
- Application to Tribunal for relief in cases of oppression, etc.
- Powers of Tribunal.
- Consequence of termination or modification of certain agreements.
- Right to apply under section 241.
- Class action.
- Application of certain provisions to proceedings under section 241 or section 245.
CHAPTER XVII
REGISTERED VALUERS
- Valuation by registered valuers.
CHAPTER XVIII
REMOVAL OF NAMES OF COMPANIES FROM THE REGISTER OF COMPANIES
- Power of Registrar to remove name of company from register of companies.
- Restrictions on making application under section 248 in certain situations.
- Effect of company notified as dissolved.
- Fraudulent application for removal of name.
- Appeal to Tribunal.
CHAPTER XIX
REVIVAL AND REHABILITATION OF SICK COMPANIES
- Determination of sickness.
- Application for revival and rehabilitation.
- Exclusion of certain time in computing period of limitation.
- Appointment of interim administrator.
- Committee of creditors.
- Order of Tribunal.
- Appointment of administrator.
- Powers and duties of company administrator.
- Scheme of revival and rehabilitation.
- Sanction of scheme.
- Scheme to be binding.
- Implementation of scheme.
- Winding up of company on report of company administrator.
- Power of Tribunal to assess damages against delinquent directors, etc.
- Punishment for certain offences.
- Bar of jurisdiction.
- Rehabilitation and Insolvency Fund.
CHAPTER XX
WINDING UP
- Modes of winding up.
PART I.—Winding up by the Tribunal
- Circumstances in which company may be wound up by Tribunal.
- Petition for winding up.
- Powers of Tribunal.
- Directions for filing statement of affairs.
- Company Liquidators and their appointments.
- Removal and replacement of liquidator.
- Intimation to Company Liquidator, provisional liquidator and Registrar.
- Effect of winding up order.
- Stay of suits, etc., on winding up order.
- Jurisdiction of Tribunal.
- Submission of report by Company Liquidator.
- Directions of Tribunal on report of Company Liquidator.
- Custody of company‘s properties.
- Promoters, directors, etc., to cooperate with Company Liquidator.
- Settlement of list of contributories and application of assets.
- Obligations of directors and managers.
- Advisory Committee.
- Submission of periodical reports to Tribunal.
- Power of Tribunal on application for stay of winding up.
- Powers and duties of Company Liquidator.
- Provision for professional assistance to Company Liquidator.
- Exercise and control of Company Liquidator‘s powers.
- Books to be kept by Company Liquidator.
- Audit of Company Liquidator‘s accounts.
- Payment of debts by contributory and extent of set-off.
- Power of Tribunal to make calls.
- Adjustment of rights of contributories.
- Power to order costs.
- Power to summon persons suspected of having property of company, etc.
- Power to order examination of promoters, directors, etc.
- Arrest of person trying to leave India or abscond.
- Dissolution of company by Tribunal.
- Appeals from orders made before commencement of Act.
PART II.—Voluntary winding up
- Circumstances in which company may be wound up voluntarily.
- Declaration of solvency in case of proposal to wind up voluntarily.
- Meeting of creditors.
- Publication of resolution to wind up voluntarily.
- Commencement of voluntary winding up.
- Effect of voluntary winding up.
- Appointment of Company Liquidator.
- Power to remove and fill vacancy of Company Liquidator.
- Notice of appointment of Company Liquidator to be given to Registrar.
- Cesser of Board‘s powers on appointment of Company Liquidator.
- Powers and duties of Company Liquidator in voluntary winding up.
- Appointment of committees.
- Company Liquidator to submit report on progress of winding up.
- Report of Company Liquidator to Tribunal for examination of persons.
- Final meeting and dissolution of company.
- Power of Company Liquidator to accept shares, etc., as consideration for sale of property of company.
- Distribution of property of company.
- Arrangement when binding on company and creditors.
- Power to apply to Tribunal to have questions determined, etc.
- Costs of voluntary winding up.
PART III.—Provisions applicable to every mode of winding up
- Debts of all descriptions to be admitted to proof.
- Application of insolvency rules in winding up of insolvent companies.
- Overriding preferential payments.
- Preferential payments.
- Fraudulent preference.
- Transfers not in good faith to be void.
- Certain transfers to be void.
- Liabilities and rights of certain persons fraudulently preferred.
- Effect of floating charge.
- Disclaimer of onerous property.
- Transfers, etc., after commencement of winding up to be void.
- Certain attachments, executions, etc., in winding up by Tribunal to be void.
- Offences by officers of companies in liquidation.
- Penalty for frauds by officers.
- Liability where proper accounts not kept.
- Liability for fraudulent conduct of business.
- Power of Tribunal to assess damages against delinquent directors, etc.
- Liability under sections 339 and 340 to extend to partners or directors in firms or companies.
- Prosecution of delinquent officers and members of company.
- Company Liquidator to exercise certain powers subject to sanction.
- Statement that company is in liquidation.
- Books and papers of company to be evidence.
- Inspection of books and papers by creditors and contributories.
- Disposal of books and papers of company.
- Information as to pending liquidations.
- Official Liquidator to make payments into public account of India.
- Company Liquidator to deposit monies into scheduled bank.
- Liquidator not to deposit monies into private banking account.
- Company Liquidation Dividend and Undistributed Assets Account.
- Liquidator to make returns, etc.
- Meetings to ascertain wishes of creditors or contributories.
- Court, tribunal or person, etc., before whom affidavit may be sworn.
- Power of Tribunal to declare dissolution of company void.
- Commencement of winding up by Tribunal.
- Exclusion of certain time in computing period of limitation.
PART IV.—Official Liquidators
- Appointment of Official Liquidator.
- Powers and functions of Official Liquidator.
- Summary procedure for liquidation.
- Sale of assets and recovery of debts due to company.
- Settlement of claims of creditors by Official Liquidator.
- Appeal by creditor.
- Order of dissolution of company.
CHAPTER XXI
PART I.—Companies authorised to Register under this Act
- Companies capable of being registered.
- Certificate of registration of existing companies.
- Vesting of property on registration.
- Saving of existing liabilities.
- Continuation of pending legal proceedings.
- Effect of registration under this Part.
- Power of Court to stay or restrain proceedings.
- Suits stayed on winding up order.
- Obligations of companies registering under this Part.
PART II.—Winding up of unregistered companies
- Winding up of unregistered companies.
- Power to wind up foreign companies although dissolved.
- Provisions of Chapter cumulative.
- Saving and construction of enactments conferring power to wind up partnership firm, association or company, etc., in certain cases.
CHAPTER XXII
COMPANIES INCORPORATED OUTSIDE INDIA
- Application of Act to foreign companies.
- Documents, etc., to be delivered to Registrar by foreign companies.
- Accounts of foreign company.
- Display of name, etc., of foreign company.
- Service on foreign company.
- Debentures, annual return, registration of charges, books of account and their inspection.
- Fee for registration of documents.
- Interpretation.
- Dating of prospectus and particulars to be contained therein.
- Provisions as to expert‘s consent and allotment.
- Registration of prospectus.
- Offer of India Depository Receipts.
- Application of sections 34 to 36 and Chapter XX.
- Punishment for contravention.
- Company‘s failure to comply with provisions of this Chapter not to affect validity or contracts, etc.
CHAPTER XXIII
GOVERNMENT COMPANIES
- Annual reports on Government companies.
- Annual reports where one or more State Governments are members of companies.
CHAPTER XXIV
REGISTRATION OFFICES AND FEES
- Registration offices.
- Admissibility of certain documents as evidence.
- Provisions relating to filing of applications, documents, inspection, etc., in electronic form.
- Inspection, production and evidence of documents kept by Registrar.
- Electronic form to be exclusive, alternative or in addition to physical form.
- Provision of value added services through electronic form.
- Application of provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000.
- Fee for filing, etc.
- Fees, etc., to be credited into public account.
CHAPTER XXV
COMPANIES TO FURNISH INFORMATION OR STATISTICS
- Power of Central Government to direct companies to furnish information or statistics.
CHAPTER XXVI
NIDHIS
- Power to modify Act in its application to Nidhis.
CHAPTER XXVII
NATIONAL COMPANY LAW TRIBUNAL AND APPELLATE TRIBUNAL
- Definitions.
- Constitution of National Company Law Tribunal.
- Qualification of President and Members of Tribunal.
- Constitution of Appellate Tribunal.
- Qualifications of Chairperson and members of Appellate Tribunal.
- Selection of Members of Tribunal and Appellate Tribunal.
- Term of office of President, Chairperson and other Members.
- Salary, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of Members.
- Acting President and Chairperson of Tribunal or Appellate Tribunal.
- Resignation of Members.
- Removal of Members.
- Staff of Tribunal and Appellate Tribunal.
- Benches of Tribunal.
- Orders of Tribunal.
- Appeal from orders of Tribunal.
- Expeditious disposal by Tribunal and Appellate Tribunal.
- Appeal to Supreme Court.
- Procedure before Tribunal and Appellate Tribunal.
- Power to punish for contempt.
- Delegation of powers.
- President, Members, officers, etc., to be public servants.
- Protection of action taken in good faith.
- Power to seek assistance of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, etc.
- Civil court not to have jurisdiction.
- Vacancy in Tribunal or Appellate Tribunal not to invalidate acts or proceedings.
- Right to legal representation.
- Limitation.
- Transfer of certain pending proceedings.
CHAPTER XXVIII
SPECIAL COURTS
- Establishment of Special Courts.
- Offences triable by Special Courts.
- Appeal and revision.
- Application of Code to proceedings before Special Court.
- Offences to be non-cognizable.
- Transitional provisions.
- Compounding of certain offences.
- Mediation and Conciliation Panel.
- Power of Central Government to appoint company prosecutors.
- Appeal against acquittal.
- Compensation for accusation without reasonable cause.
- Application of fines.
CHAPTER XXIX
MISCELLANEOUS
- Punishment for fraud.
- Punishment for false statement.
- Punishment for false evidence.
- Punishment where no specific penalty or punishment is provided.
- Punishment in case of repeated default.
- Punishment for wrongful withholding of property.
- Punishment for improper use of ―Limited‖ or ―Private Limited‖.
- Adjudication of penalties.
- Dormant company.
- Protection of action taken in good faith.
- Non-disclosure of information in certain cases.
- Delegation by Central Government of its powers and functions.
- Power of Central Government of Tribunal to accord approval, etc., subject to conditions and to prescribe fees on applications.
- Condonation of delay in certain cases.
- Annual report by Central Government.
- Power to exempt class or classes of companies from provisions of this Act.
- Power of court to grant relief in certain cases.
- Prohibition of association or partnership of persons exceeding certain number.
- Repeal of certain enactments and savings.
- Dissolution of Company Law Board and consequential provisions.
- Power of Central Government to amend Schedules.
- Power of Central Government to make rules relating to winding up.
- Power of Central Government to make rules.
- Power to remove difficulties.