Tag Archives: General Meeting

Decoding Secretarial Standards – Proxies


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to Proxies under SS – 2.

Right to Appoint:

A Member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint a Proxy, or where that is allowed, one or more proxies, to attend and vote instead of himself and a Proxy need not be a Member. [Paragraph 6.1 of SS – 2]

However, a Proxy shall be a Member in case of companies with charitable objects etc. and not for profit registered under the specified provisions of the Act. [Background Paragraph 1 after Paragraph 6.1 of SS – 2]

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Chairperson


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to Chairperson under SS – 1 and SS – 2.

Chairman:

For SS – 1, Chairman means the Chairman of the Board or its Committee, as the case may be, or the chairman appointed or elected for a meeting.

For SS – 2, Chairman means Chairman of the Board or the Chairman appointed or elected for a Meeting.

As a term “Chairman” always faces criticism being a sexist term and terms “chairperson” and “chair” are preferable substitutes. Though the Companies Act 2013 also uses term chairman but secretarial standards should take some lead.

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Compliance Action Plan for Secretarial Standards


Compliance Action Plan for Secretarial Standards

Secretarial Standards SS – 1 & SS – 2 dealing with Board Meeting and General Meeting respectively, became effective from July 01, 2015. These standards trigger certain action points at board level, shareholders level & general. CS Amit Gupta, Amit Gupta & Associates, Companies Secretaries, Lucknow has summarized action points to get prepared for implementation of these standards without hassles.

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Attendance


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to Attendance at Meetings under SS – 1 and SS – 2.

Attendance registers:

Every company shall maintain separate attendance registers for the Meetings of the Board and Meetings of the Committee. [Paragraph 4.1.1 of SS – 1]

The pages of the respective attendance registers shall be serially numbered. [Background Paragraph 1 after Paragraph 4.1.1 of SS – 1]

If an attendance register is maintained in loose-leaf form, it shall be bound periodically depending on the size and volume. [Paragraph 2 after Paragraph 4.1.1 of SS – 1]

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Quorum


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to frequency of Meetings under SS – 1 and SS – 2.

Quorum of Board meeting:

Quorum shall be present throughout the Meeting. Quorum shall be present not only at the time of commencement of the Meeting but also while transacting business. [Paragraph 3.1 of SS – 1]

A Director shall not be reckoned for Quorum in respect of an item in which he is interested and he shall not be present, whether physically or through Electronic Mode, during discussions and voting on such item. [Paragraph 3.2 of SS – 1]

For this purpose, a Director shall be treated as interested in a contract or arrangement entered into or proposed to be entered into by the company:

(a) with the Director himself or his relative; or

(b) with any body corporate, if such Director, along with other Directors holds more than two percent of the paid-up share capital of that body corporate, or he is a promoter, or manager or chief executive officer of that body corporate; or

(c) with a firm or other entity, if such Director or his relative is a partner, owner or Member, as the case may be, of that firm or other entity. [Background Paragraph 1 after Paragraph 3.2 of SS – 1]

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Frequency of meetings


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to frequency of Meetings under SS – 1 and SS – 2.

Board Meetings:

The Board shall meet at least once in every calendar quarter, with a maximum interval of one hundred and twenty days between any two consecutive Meetings of the Board, such that at least four Meetings are held in each Calendar Year. [Paragraph 2.1 of SS – 1]

The Board shall hold its first Meeting within thirty days of the date of incorporation of the company. It shall be sufficient if one Meeting is held in each of the remaining calendar quarters, subject to a maximum interval of one hundred and twenty days between any two consecutive Meetings of the Board, after the first Meeting. [Background Paragraph 1 after Paragraph 2.1 of SS – 1]

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Notice of General Meetings


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to Notice of a General Meeting under SS – 2 issued by Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Notice in writing of every Meeting shall be given to every Member of the company. Such Notice shall also be given to the Directors and Auditors of the company, to the Secretarial Auditor, to Debenture Trustees, if any, and, wherever applicable or so required, to other specified persons. [Paragraph 1.2.1 of SS – 2]

In the case of Members, Notice shall be given at the address registered with the Company or depository. In the case of shares or other securities held jointly by two or more persons, the Notice shall be given to the person whose name appears first as per records of the Company or the depository, as the case may be. In the case of any other person who is entitled to receive Notice, the same shall be given to such person at the address provided by him. [Background Paragraph 1 after Paragraph 1.2.1 of SS – 2]

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Notice of Board Meetings


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to Notice of a board meeting under SS – 1 issued by Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Notice in writing of every Meeting shall be given to every Director

  • by hand or
  • by speed post or
  • by registered post or
  • by courier or
  • by facsimile or
  • by e-mail or
  • by any other electronic means. [Paragraph 1.3.1 of SS – 1]

In SS – 1, Electronic means is not defined by it is defined in Paragraph 1.2.2 of SS – 2. Please refer there for definition. I will post my remark on definition when I will write a post on those standards.

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Convening a Meeting


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss Secretarial Standards related to convening a board meeting and general meeting under SS – 1 and SS – 2 respectively.

Authority for Board Meeting:

According to Paragraph 1.1.1 of SS – 1;

  • Any Director of a company may, at any time, summon a Meeting of the Board, and
  • the Company Secretary or where there is no Company Secretary any person authorised by the Board in this behalf, on the requisition of a Director, shall

convene a Meeting of the Board, in consultation with

  1. the Chairman or
  2. in his absence, the Managing Director or
  3. in his absence, the Whole-time Director, where there is any,

unless otherwise provided in the Articles.

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Decoding Secretarial Standards – Scope and Definitions


In my earlier post here I have raised some issues related to issuance of secretarial standards. As these are curable technical issues. I continue my study of these Secretarial Standards.

In this post, I will discuss scope of the Secretarial Standards namely SS – 1 and SS – 2 issued by Institute of Company Secretaries of India and interesting definitions.

SS – 1 is applicable to the Meetings of Board of Directors of all companies incorporated under the Act except One Person Company (OPC) in which there is only one Director on its Board. The principles enunciated in this Standard for Meetings of the Board of Directors are also applicable to Meetings of Committee (s) of the Board, unless otherwise stated herein or stipulated by any other applicable Guidelines, Rules or Regulations.

SS – 1 is not applicable to the meeting of Board of One Person Companies which has only one director, otherwise SS – 1 is applicable to One Person Companies Also.

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TECHNICAL FAULT IN ISSUANCE OF SECRETARIAL STANDARD


Section 118(10) of the Companies Act, 2013 made it mandatory for every company to observe Secretarial Standards on general and board meetings. According to sub – section 118(10), these two Secretarial Standards shall be “specified” by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and “approved” as such by the Central Government.

This sub – section does not confer any power to the Institute of company Secretaries of India to “issue” any Secretarial standards. This just confer power to “specify” some standards related to general and board meeting which may have been issued by the institute.

Whether the Companies Act, 2013 somewhere else confer any power to the institute of company Secretaries of India to “issue” any secretarial standards? If yes, Secretarial Standards should be issued under the power conferred by that provision and should only be “specified” under sub – section 118(10).

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E – Voting Rules 2015


Indian E – voting Rules were under criticism from various quarters of corporate world since. Their application has been postponed some point of time. Now, the Rule 20 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014 has been substituted by the Companies (Management and administration) amendment Rules, 2015. We have discussed, original Rules related voting through electronic Means earlier here.

These rules will come into force from the date of publication of these rules in official gazette i.e.

Applicability:

The provisions of this rule shall apply in respect of the general meetings for which notices are issued on or after the dale of commencement of this rule. [Rule 20(1)]

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POSSIBILITY OF PROXY


[This is my write up published in July 2014 edition of eMagazine of Mysore Chapter of Institute of Company Secretaries of India
Download here: 126 ICSI Mysore eMagazine July 2014]

Section 105(2) of the Companies Act, 2013 says in every notice calling a meeting of a company, there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement that member entitled to appoint a proxy and a proxy need not be a member. Prominent question on ‘proxy’ is where the institution of proxies stands under new corporate law regime.

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SPECIAL NOTICE


Section 115 of the Companies Act 2013 requires certain business to be transacted in general meeting only after a special notice of the resolution.

There are certain businesses under the Act and may be some additional businesses in the articles of the company, which requires special notice for resolution. The notice of the intention to move such resolution shall be given to the company by prescribed number of members holding not less than one percent voting power or holding shares of paid – up value of five lakh rupees. On receipt of such notice from these members, the company shall give notice in prescribed manner to its members.

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POSTAL BALLOT


Section 110 of the Companies Act, 2013 creates legal backing for postal ballot.

A company shall transact businesses notified by Central Government through postal ballot only not in general meeting.

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Scrutiny of Poll Process


Section 109 of the Companies Act 2013 deals with provisions related to demand for Poll in a general meeting.

Where a poll is to be taken, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint necessary number of person to scrutinise the poll process and vote given on the poll and to report thereon. [Section 109(5)]

Rule 21 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014 deals with “manner in which the Chairman of meeting shall get the poll process scrutinised and report thereon”.

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VOTING THROUGH ELECTRONIC MEANS


The Central Government got freehand under Section 108 of the Companies Act, 2013 which simply reads, “The Central Government may prescribe the class or classes of companies and manner in which a member may exercise his right to vote by the electronic means.”

The Rule 20 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014 has all power to administer voting through electronic means.

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PROXIES


Section 105 of the Companies Act 2013 frames law regarding proxies. We have Rule 19 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014 to supplement provisions relating to proxies.

Any member of a company entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the company shall be entitled to appoint another person as a proxy to attend and vote at the meeting on his behalf. [Section 105(1)]

A member of a company registered under section 8 shall not be entitled to appoint any other person as his proxy unless such other person is also a member of such company. [Rule 19(1)]

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NOTICE OF THE MEETING


According to Section 101 of the Companies Act, 2013 a General meeting of a company may be called by giving not less than clear twenty – one days’ notice either in writing (i.e. in paper form) or through electronic mode.

If consent is given in writing or by electronic mode by not less than ninety – five percent of members entitled to vote at such meeting, a general meeting may be called after giving a notice of a shorter period, which is called shorter notice (not short in contents but time period). [Section 101(1)]

Rule 18 of the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014 explains provisions related to notice through electronic mode.

A company may give notice through electronic mode. The expression ‘‘electronic mode’’ shall mean any communication sent by a company through its authorized and secured computer programme which is capable of producing confirmation and keeping record of such communication addressed to the person entitled to receive such communication at the last electronic mail address provided by the member. [Rule 18(1)]

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RESOLUTION, MINUTES AND REPORT


Recently we have discussed “General Meetings”, “Preparing General Meetings” and “Proxies, Voting and Polling”. The provision contains here also applicable to all company meetings unless context restrict them to General Meeting.

RESOLUTION (SECTIONS 114):

The Companies Act, 2013 does not define resolution. Resolution is a formal statement of a decision or expression of opinion put before or adopted by an assembly. This may be ordinary resolution or special resolution.

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