Indian Companies Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of India, enacted in 1956, which enabled companies to be formed by registration, sets out the responsibilities of companies, their executive director and secretaries and also provides for the procedures for its winding.^[6]

Section 135 of the Companies Act introduces mandatory Corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions for large companies, making it the only mandatory CSR law in the world. According to the bill, all firms with net worth above 5 billion rupees or ₹5 billion (approx. $75 million), turnover over 10 billion rupees or ₹10 billion (approx. $150 million), or net profit over 50 million rupees or ₹50 million (approx. $750,000) are required to spend at least 2% of their annual profits of the preceding year. The law requires that all businesses affected establish a CSR committee to oversee the spending. Prior to this law's passage, CSR laws applied to public sector companies only.^[7] Governments have notified India's incubators as eligible for spending under CSR.

Company SecretaryEdit

Section 203 of the Companies Act 2013 deals with the appointment of a company secretary. The act was the first time in the history of Indian company law has defined company secretary as a Key managerial personnel of the Company.

Indian company law make it mandatory for every Indian listed, and every other entity having more than rupees ten crore (100 million) paid up capital, to have a whole time company secretary.

Major changes in Companies Act 2013

• Companies (1st amendment) Act 2015
• Companies (2nd amendment) Act 2017
• Companies ( 3rd amendment) Act 2019
• Companies (4th amendment) Bill 2020

• National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) is established under the Companies Act 2013 and was constituted on 1 June 2016 by the government of India & is based on the recommendation of the Justice Eradi committee on law relating to insolvency and winding up of companies.^[8]
• National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) is established in March 2018 as an oversight body to investigate matters of professional misconduct by Chartered accountants or CA firms .^[9]

The Directors are one of the most important pivot under the Companies Act. Directors are appointed by the shareholders for managing the Company and are responsible for all compliance under the Companies Act. The Directors are collectively called as the Board.

Different types of directors under the Companies Act, 2013 are:

• Managing Director
• Whole Time Director
• Director Simplicitor
• Executive Director
• Non-Executive Director
• Small shareholders Director
• Nominee Director
• Additional Director
• Alternate Director
• Independent Director

Some of the above may be overlapping. For example- Whole Time Director is always an Executive director but the reverse may not be true.

Additional Director may be executive or non-executive director.

Chapter XI of the Companies Act,2013 contains the provisions for change in Directors i.e. their appointment, resignation and removal.

1. Appointment of a Director –Edit

Wherever the Articles of Association permit, the existing Board of Directors can appoint other ‘Additional directors‘ who can hold office till their confirmation at the next meeting of shareholders. However, in all other cases, shareholders have the sole authority to appoint Directors in general meeting. Further,  there are some categories of directors like nominee directors/ regulatory directors who are not appointed by shareholders.

The director, proposed to be appointed, should declare that he or she is free of all disqualifications which are mentioned under Section 164. Further, he should give his consent in forms DIR -2 and DIR -8 and disclosure of interest in MBP-1.

Before appointment, a director should obtain a Director Identification Number (DIN).

Company shall file Form DIR -12 with the Registrar of Companies within 30 days of the director’s appointment. Form DIR-12 is the general form to be filed for all change in directors.

2. Resignation of a Director –Edit

Section 169 of the Act governs a situation of resignation of a Director. On receipt of the notice/letter of resignation, Company has to file DIR-12 within 30 days.

Also, the resigning director may, at his option, submit DIR -11 also.

3. Re- designation of director –Edit

Re-designation of a Director can happen when:

1. When a Director is re-designated from an executive/whole time to non- executive director or vice -versa OR
2. shareholders confirm the additional director’s appointment in a general meeting.

Re-designation is not actually a change in Director but its more a change in post. But even In such cases, Company has to file DIR -12 within 30 days of such re-designation.

4. Alternate Director –Edit

In case of a foreign director not visiting India for a year, he/she has to appoint an ‘Alternate Director’ as a proxy director for receiving notices, attending meetings and voting.

Company shall file DIR-12 for appointment and removal of an Alternate Director within 30 days of such an event.

5. Removal of Director –Edit

Section 169 governs removal of a Director.

• A company may, by ordinary resolution, remove a director, after giving him a reasonable opportunity of being heard,
• Such resolution, to remove a director under this section, or to appoint somebody in place of a director so removed, at the meeting at which he is removed shall have an attachment as a Special Notice which shall lay down the reasons for removal and any written representations made by the Director.
• The Board/ shareholders calling the meeting shall provide the Director, proposed to be removed, an opportunity to be heard on the matter.

One Person Company (OPC) is a new Concept introduced under the Companies Act, 2013. Its actually a subset of a private limited Company but has only one shareholder and requires only one Director instead of minimum two directors and shareholders required for a traditional private limited Company.

The concept opens up possibilities for sole proprietors who can take the advantages of Limited liability and corporatisation but were held back in doing so because of the requirements of finding a second director or second shareholder.

Nominee:

'Nominee' concept is a very important concept. As per Section 3 ^[10] of the Companies Act, 2013 Shareholder owning the One Person Company has to nominate a Nominee with his written consent. Such a nominee, in the event of death or inability to contract of the owner of the OPC, shall come forward and take over the reins of the OPC. Further, if the person so nominated becomes the member of such a One Person Company and is already a member of another such OPC, at the same time, then, by virtue of the Company Rules, he has to decide within 6 months which one person company he has to continue.

Another point, the member can change the nominee at any point of time.

Nominee shall given his prior written consent in prescribed form (INC-3) and same shall be filed with ROC. However, nominee also holds the right to withdraw his consent.

Also, the sole member of OPC may, at any time, change the nominee by giving notice to company and company shall intimate same to the registrar. (INC-4 Change in member/ nominee).

Only a natural person who is an Indian citizen and resident in India, shall be eligible to be a nominee for the sole member of a OPC. No minor shall become a nominee of the OPC.

Documents required for Change in Nominee in OPC:Edit

The sole owner and the nominee shall execute two forms – INC-3 and INC-4  for the entire process of change in nominee. INC-3 is the witness consent form. Its an internal form. Its not an e-form but a physically form. The new nominee shall sign the form INC-3 along with the following attachments:

• Proof of Identity:- Voters Identity card/Passport/ Driving License/ Aadhar Number
• Residential Proof:- Bank Statement/ Electricity Bill/Telephone Bill/Mobile bill

The Nominee shall manually sign INC-3.

For e-form INC-4, attachments required are as follows:Edit

• Consent of the nominee in signed Form INC-3 along with all the enclosures. (Mandatory)
• Certified copy of PAN card of the new nominee and/or new member. (Mandatory)
• Proof of identity of the new nominee and/or new member. (Mandatory)
• Residential proof of the new nominee and/or new member. (Mandatory)
• It is mandatory to attach notice of withdrawal of consent in case withdrawal is by nominee.
• Proof of change in name in case intimation is about change in the name of the nominee.
• It is mandatory to attach proof of cessation of member in case of intimation of cessation of member.

INC-4 is processed in STP mode.  Once the member files the INC-4 form, the process of change in nominee in OPC (One Person Company) is complete.

• Indian company law
• UK company law
• European company law
• US corporate law

• Notified sections of Companies Act, 2013
• Act No. 1 of 1956
• Text of the Companies Act, 1956
• Companies Act of 2013
• http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/Companies_Cost_Records_and_Audit_%20amdt_Rules_2015.pdf
• http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/General_Circular_8-2015.pdf
• http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/Exemptions_to_private_companies_05062015.pdf
• http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/Exemptions_to_Section8_companies_05062015.pdf