[Opinion] Non-adherence of Code for IDS land the Co. & its MD & CEO into Penal Actions by ROC

  • Blog|News|Company Law|
  • 2 Min Read
  • By Taxmann
  • |
  • Last Updated on 10 July, 2023

Penal Actions by ROC

Prof R Balakrishnan – [2023] 152 taxmann.com 155 (Article)

1. Code for independent directors

Under the provisions of the Companies Act 2013, Schedule IV of the Companies Act 2013 has prescribed “Code for Independent Directors”. Sub-section (8) of section 149 of the Companies Act, 2013 spells out that the company and independent directors shall have to abide by the provisions specified in Schedule IV. The Code for independent directors spells out the

(a) guidelines of professional conduct;

(b) role and functions of IDs;

(c) duties – both to be discharged by IDs and as well by company;

(d) manner of appointment of IDs;

(e) reappointment procedure;

(f) resignation of IDs and their removal;

(g) separate meeting to be held by IDs and evolution mechanism.

From the Code for independent directors, one could understand that the company has also to fulfil certain duties as spelled out in the code itself, in adhering the code.

This particular case is typically, failure by the company on their part in adhering the code whereby all the IDS had to submit their resignation citing the governance issues in the company. The matter was looked into by the Registrar of Companies and at the end the company and its MD & CEO were penalized for the non-adherence of the code. Let us go through this case in threadbare to understand what had led to the penal actions.

2. Provisions under the Companies Act 2013 relating to this case

The sub-section (8) of section 149 of the Companies Act 2013 is the relevant provision pertaining to this case under Chapter XI-A which states as under:-

Companies Act 2013
Section 149 – Company to have Board of Directors
149 (8) IDs to abide the Code as per Schedule IV The company and independent directors shall abide by the provisions specified in Schedule IV.
Schedule IV – Code for Independent Directors
III (2) Duties The Independent Directors shall:- seek appropriate clarification or amplification of information and, where necessary, take and follow appropriate professional advice and opinion of outside experts at the expense of the company
Click Here To Read The Full Article

Disclaimer: The content/information published on the website is only for general information of the user and shall not be construed as legal advice. While the Taxmann has exercised reasonable efforts to ensure the veracity of information/content published, Taxmann shall be under no liability in any manner whatsoever for incorrect information, if any.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Everything on Tax and Corporate Laws of India

To subscribe to our weekly newsletter please log in/register on Taxmann.com

Author: Taxmann

Taxmann Publications has a dedicated in-house Research & Editorial Team. This team consists of a team of Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, and Lawyers. This team works under the guidance and supervision of editor-in-chief Mr Rakesh Bhargava.

The Research and Editorial Team is responsible for developing reliable and accurate content for the readers. The team follows the six-sigma approach to achieve the benchmark of zero error in its publications and research platforms. The team ensures that the following publication guidelines are thoroughly followed while developing the content:

  • The statutory material is obtained only from the authorized and reliable sources
  • All the latest developments in the judicial and legislative fields are covered
  • Prepare the analytical write-ups on current, controversial, and important issues to help the readers to understand the concept and its implications
  • Every content published by Taxmann is complete, accurate and lucid
  • All evidence-based statements are supported with proper reference to Section, Circular No., Notification No. or citations
  • The golden rules of grammar, style and consistency are thoroughly followed
  • Font and size that's easy to read and remain consistent across all imprint and digital publications are applied