Ministry of Corporate Affairs
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 31st March, 2014
G.S.R. 253(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred under section 455,sub-section (2) of section 459 and sub-section (1) of section 464 read with section 469 of the Companies Act, 2013, and in suppression of the Companies (Central Government’s) General Rules and Forms, 1956 or any other rules prescribed under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) on matters covered under these rules, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement. – (1) These rules may be called the Companies (Miscellaneous) Rules, 2014.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Definitions. (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “Act” means the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013);
(b) “Annexure” means Annexure enclosed to these Rules;
(c) “Fees” means fees as prescribed in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014;
(d) ”Form” or “e-Form” means a form set forth in Annexure to these rules which shall be used for the matter to which it relates;
(e) “section” means section of the Act;
(2) Words and expressions used in these rules but not defined, and defined in the Act or in the Company (Specification of definitions details)Rules, 2014 shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Act or in the said Rules.
3. Application for obtaining status of dormant company.- For the purposes of sub-section (1) of section 455, a company may make an application in Form MSC-1 along with such fee as provided in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 to the Registrar for obtaining the status of a Dormant Company in accordance with the provisions of section 455 after passing a special resolution to this effect in the general meeting of the company or after issuing a notice to all the shareholders of the company for this purpose and obtaining consent of atleast 3/4th shareholders (in value):
Provided that a company shall be eligible to apply under this rule only, if-
(i) no inspection, inquiry or investigation has been ordered or taken up or carried out against the company;
(ii) no prosecution has been initiated and pending against the company under any law;
(iii) the company is neither having any public deposits which are outstanding nor the company is in default in payment thereof or interest thereon;
(iv) the company is not having any outstanding loan, whether secured or unsecured:
Provided that if there is any outstanding unsecured loan, the company may apply under this rule after obtaining concurrence of the lender and enclosing the same with Form MSC-1 ;
(v) there is no dispute in the management or ownership of the company and a certificate in this regard is enclosed with Form MSC-1;
(vi) the company does not have any outstanding statutory taxes, dues, duties etc. payable to the Central Government or any State Government or local authorities etc.;
(vii) the company has not defaulted in the payment of workmen’s dues;
(viii) the securities of the company are not listed on any stock exchange within or outside India.
4. Certificate of status of dormant company.- The Registrar shall,after considering the application filed in Form MSC-1, issue a certificate in Form MSC-2 allowing the status of a Dormant Company to the applicant.
5. Register of dormant companies.- The Register maintained under the portal maintained by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on its web-site www.mca.gov.in or any other website notified by the Central Government, shall be the register for dormant companies.
6. Minimum number of directors for dormant company.- A dormant company shall have a minimum number of three directors in case of a public company, two directors in case of a private company and one director in case of a One Person Company:
Provided that the provisions of the Act in relation to the rotation of auditors shall not apply on dormant companies.
7. Return of dormant companies.- A dormant company shall file a“Return of Dormant Company” annually, inter-alia, indicating financial position duly audited by a chartered accountant in practice in Form MSC- 3 along with such annual fee as provided in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 within a period of thirty days from the end of each financial year:
Provided that the company shall continue to file the return or returns of allotment and change in directors in the manner and within the time specified in the Act, whenever the company allots any security to any person or there is any change in the directors of the company.
8. Application for seeking status of an active company.- (1) An application, under sub-section (5) of section 455, for obtaining the status of an active company shall be made in Form MSC-4 along with fees as provided in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 and shall be accompanied by a return in Form MSC-3 in respect of the financial year in which the application for obtaining the status of an active company is being filed:
Provided that the Registrar shall initiate the process of striking off the name of the company if the company remains as a dormant company for a period of consecutive five years.
(2) The Registrar shall, after considering the application filed under sub-rule(1), issue a certificate in Form MSC-5 allowing the status of an active company to the applicant.
(3) Where a dormant company does or omits to do any act mentioned in the Grounds of application in Form MSC-1 submitted to Registrar for obtaining the status of dormant company, affecting its status of dormant company, the directors shall within seven days from such event, file an application, under sub-rule (1) of this rule, for obtaining the status of an active company.
(4) Where the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe that any company registered as ‘dormant company’ under his jurisdiction has been functioning in any manner, directly or indirectly, he may initiate the proceedings for enquiry under section 206 of the Act and if, after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the company in this regard, it is found that the company has actually been functioning, the Registrar may remove the name of such company from register of dormant companies and treat it asan active company.
9. Fees for application to Central Government.- For the purposes of sub-section (2) of section 459, every application which may be, or is required to be, made to the Central Government under any provision of the Act
(a) in respect of any approval, sanction, consent, confirmation or recognition to be accorded by that Government to, or in relation to, any matter; or
(b) in respect of any direction or exemption to be given or granted by that Government in relation to any matter; or
(c) in respect of any other matter, shall be accompanied by such fee as provided in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014.
10. Association or partnership of persons exceeding certain number. – No association or partnership shall be formed, consisting of more than fifty persons for the purpose of carrying on any business that has for its objects the acquisition of gain by the association or partnership or by individual members thereof, unless it is registered as a company under the Act or is formed under any other law for the time being in force.
