In the view of the novel COVID-19 outbreak, the MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs) has notified that the requirement of holding Board meetings with the physical presence of the director will be held through video conferencing or audiovisuals. Here is the official notification from the MCA:
[To be published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i)]
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Notification
New Delhi, the 19th March, 2020
G.S.R. (E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 173, 177, 178 and section 186 read with section 469 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Rules, 2014, namely:
1. (1) These rules may be called the Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Amendment Rules, 2020.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Rules, 2014, rule 4 shall be renumbered as sub-rule (1) thereof and after sub-rule (1) as so renumbered, the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely:-
"(2) For the period beginning from the commencement of the Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Amendment Rules, 2020 and ending on the 30th June, 2020, the meetings on matters referred to in sub-rule (1) may be held through video conferencing or other audiovisual means in accordance with rule 3.".
[F. No. 1/32/2r3-CL-V-Part]
(K.V.R. Murty)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India
Note: The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide notification number G.S.R. 240(E), dated the 31st March, 2014 and subsequently amended as follows:-
1. G.S.R. 398 (E), dated the 12th June, 2014;
2. G.S.R. 590 (E), dated the 14th August, 2014;
3. G.S.R. 206 (E), dated the 18th March, 2015;
4. G.S.R. 971(E), dated the 14th December, 2015;
5. G.S.R. 309 (E), dated the 30th March, 2017;
6. G.S.R. 880 (E), dated the 13th July, 2017;
7. G.S.R. 429 (El, dated the 7th May,20lB;
8. G.S.R. 777 (El dated the 11th October, 2019; and
9. G.S.R. 857 (E) dated the 18th November, 2019.
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