Introduction To Company
Introduction To Company
Companies act 1956, is applies to all types of companies, whether registered, under this
act or an earlier act, but does not apply to universities, co-operative societies, scientific &
other societies.
The companies’ act, 1850- it is the first companies act passed in India. It provides for
registration of the companies and transferability of shares. The amending act of 1857
conferred the right of registration with or without limited liability. Subsequently this right
was granted to banking & insurance companies by an act of 1860 following the similar
principle in Britain. The companies’ act of 1956 repealed all the previous act.
The companies’ act, 1956- It was enacted with a view to consolidate and amend the earlier
laws relating to companies & certain other associations. The act came into force on 1 st
April, 1956. This companies act was based largely on the recommendations of the
company law committee (Bhabha Committee) which submitted its report in March, 1952.
This act was the longest piece of legislation ever passed by our parliament. Amendments
(changes) have been made in this act periodically.
The companies act, 1956 had undergone changes by amendments in 1960, 1962-67, 1969,
1971, 1977, 1985, 1988, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002 (I amendment), 2002 (II amendment), and
2006.
NAGASUDHA R.
Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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Section 3 of the companies’ act, 1956 defines the word ‘Company’ as a company formed
& registered under the act or an existing company formed & registered under any of the
previous company laws”.
Company is a voluntary association of persons formed for the purpose of doing business,
having a distinct name & limited liability.
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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Characteristics of a Company-
A company as an entity has several distinct features which together make it a unique
organization. The following are the defining characteristics of a company.
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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6. Common Seal: A company is an artificial person and does not have a physical
presence. Therefore, it acts through its Board of Director’s (BOD’s) carrying out its
activities and entering into various agreements. Such contracts must be under the seal
of the company. The common seal is the official signature of the company. The name
of the company must be engraved on the common seal. Any document not bearing the
seal of the company may not be accepted as authentic and may not have any legal
force.
7. Separate Management: A company is administered and managed by its managerial
personnel, i.e., BOD’s. The shareholders are simply the holder of the shares in the
company, and need not be necessarily the managers of the company.
8. One Share-One Vote: The principle of voting in a company is one share-one vote,
i.e., if a person has 10 shares. He has 10 votes in the company.
NAGASUDHA R.
Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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5. Separate Legal Entity: A JSC has a legal entity distinct from and independent of its
members. It is regarded as an entity separate from its shareholders or members. Hence,
a shareholder can sue the company and be sued by it. The property of the company
must be used for the benefit of the company and not for its members or shareholders or
individuals.
6. Separate Property: A company has a right to own and transfer property in its own
name since it is a legal entity. A shareholder has no proprietary right in the property of
the company but merely to their shares. Therefore, the claims of the company’s
creditors will be against the company’s property and not that of the shareholders.
7. Perpetual Succession or Continuous Existence: A JSC has a perpetual succession. In
other words, it has continuous existence or life. ‘Men may come and men may go, but
I go on for ever’ applies to a JSC very well. i.e., members may come and members may
go, but the company goes on until it is wound up according to law. It other words, the
life of the company is not affected by the death, insanity or insolvency of its members.
8. Transferability of Shares: Section 82 of the companies act, 1956, provides that “The
share or other interest of any member shall be a moveable property, transferable in a
manner provided for in the articles of the company”. A member may:
(i) Sell his shares in the open market, or
(ii) Transfer his shares to anybody he likes in a public limited company.
9. Large Membership: Generally, a JSC is an association of persons. That means, it has
a large no. of members. In fact, any number of persons can become the members of a
public company, as there is no limit to the maximum no. of members. However, in the
case of a private company, the maximum no. of members is fifty.
10. Separation of Ownership from Management: In a company, shareholders are the
owners but the management is entrusted to a BOD’s who are separate from the body
of the shareholders. Further, a shareholder is not an agent of the company or the other
shareholders and he cannot bind them by his act. In the company form of organisation
management is divorced from the ownership.
11. A company is not a Citizen: A company on incorporation assumes a legal personality
distinct from its members, but it cannot claim to be citizen of a country under the
constitution of Indian or Citizenship act, 1955.
NAGASUDHA R.
Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
Kinds of companies 7
Body Corporate
Public Private
Company Company
Earlier, East India Company was a charterer company which was incorporated with
the permission granted by queen Elizabeth of Britain.
a) Public Company: The Company which can invite the public to subscribe to its
shares is called a public company. In other words it is a company which is not a
private company. Minimum number of shareholders is seven and there is no
restriction on the maximum number of shareholders. Transfer of shares and
acceptance of public deposits.
b) Private Company: A company which requires minimum number of 2 persons for
registration and limits the number of members to 50, restricts the transfer of shares
from one holder to another and prohibits an invitation to the public to subscribe to
its shares and debentures is called a private company.
Differences Between Private Company and Public Company-
Sl. no Private Company Sl. no Public Company
1. Requires minimum paid-up capital 1. Requires minimum paid-up capital of Rs. 5
of Rs. 1 Lakh. Lakh.
2. Requires minimum 2 members, and 2. Requires minimum 7 members and no
maximum limit up to 50 (200 as per maximum limit for membership.
New companies act, 2013)
3. At least 2 directors are required. 3. At least 3 directors are required.
4. Formation is not difficult. 4. Formation is difficult. Certificate of
Certificate of incorporation is incorporation and business commencement
sufficient for formation. certificate must be obtained for formation.
5. It must have the word ‘PRIVATE 5. It must have the word ‘LIMITED’ in its
LIMITED’ in its name. name.
6. Filing prospectus and statement of 6. Filing prospectus and statement of prospectus
prospectus is not compulsory. is compulsory.
7. There are no legal restrictions on 7. There are a number of legal restrictions on
allotment of shares. allotment of shares.
8. Shares are not freely transferable 8. Shares are freely transferable from one person
from one person to another. They to another. They can be quoted on the stock
cannot be quoted on the stock exchange.
exchange.
9. It need not hold statutory meeting 9. It must hold a statutory meeting and file a
nor file a statutory report with the statutory report with the registrar within 6
registrar.
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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i) Small Company: Section 2(85) a “Small Company” means a company other than a
public company-
• Whose paid-up capital does not exceed Rs.50 lakhs
• Whose turnover as per the latest accounts does not exceed Rs. 2 crores
ii) One Person Company (OPC)/ One Man Company: As the name suggests, under this
category, one man holds practically the entire share capital of the company, but in order
to meet the statutory requirements of minimum number of members, some dummy
members, mostly his relatives or obliging friends, hols one or two shares each. Thus,
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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one man controls the entire company with limited liability. OPC is a hybrid of sole-
proprietor and company form of business.
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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C) Global Company: Global corporations operate in two or more countries and face many
challenges in their quest to capture value in the global market.
Company whose shares are listed (Quoted) on a stock exchange for public trading are
also called as quoted company.
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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❖ A Private Company
❖ A Public Company
❖ One Person Company (OPC)
❖ Limited Liability Partnership
❖ Small Company
❖ Foreign Company or a Company Incorporated Outside India.
However the body corporate does not include-
a. A co-operative society registered under any law relating to co-operative societies; and
b. Any other body corporate (not being a company defined in the companies act, 2013),
which the central government may, by notification, specify in this behalf.
Dormant Company: Where a company is formed and registered under this act for a future
project or to hold an asset or intellectual property and has no significant accounting
transaction for the last 2 years. Such a company or an inactive company** can make an
application to Registrar of Company (ROC) for obtaining the status of a dormant
company.
**Inactive Company means a company which has not been carrying on any business or
operation or has not made any significant accounting transactions during the last two
financial years or has not files financial statements and annual returns during the last two
financial years.
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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Structure
Companies Companies
Act, 1956 Act, 2013
13 Parts 29 Chapters
15 Schedules 07 Schedules
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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reappointed their statutory auditors for more than 5/10 years; have to appoint another
auditor in Annual General Meeting for year 2014.
11. Types of Companies: Maximum number of members in a private company
increased from 50 to 200. Limit of members in an association or partnership (without
incorporation) to be increased up to 100.
12. Share Capital: For defined infrastructural projects, preference shares can be issued
for a period exceeding 20 years. Provisions relating to further issue of capital made
applicable to all companies. The terms for offer of securities, from and manner of
‘Private placement’ to be prescribed.
13. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): 2% of average net profits of last 3 years
to be mandatorily spent on CSR by companies having net worth of 5 billion or more
or turnover of 10 billion or more or net profit of 50 million or more.
14. National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT): 2013 act replaces the high court with a
Tribunal to be known as NCLT, which will consists of Judicial & Technical members,
as central government may deem necessary, to exercise and discharge the powers and
functions conferred including approval of merger, corporate reorganization, capital
reduction, extension of financial year etc.
15. Compromises, Arrangement and Amalgamation:
The act allows cross border mergers
Separate provision for merger between two small companies or holding and
wholly owned subsidiary
Any valuation of shares/assets etc. required to be performed by a registered valuer.
NAGASUDHA R.
Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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4. The CA 2013 permits cross border mergers, both ways, a foreign company merging
with an Indian company and vice versa but with prior permission of RBI.
5. Prohibition on forward dealings and insider trading.
6. The act 2013 provides new form of private company i.e., one person company is
introduced that may have only one director and one shareholder.
7. The companies act 2013 proposed E-Governance for various company processes like
maintenance & inspection of documents in electronic form, option of keeping of books
of accounts in electronic form, financial statements to be placed on company’s
website, etc.
8. All listed companies should have at least 1/3 rd of board of independent directors. Such
other class or classes of public companies as may be prescribed by the central
government shall also require to appoint independent directors.
9. Companies’ act 2013 has now defined the duties of a director.
10. The act 2013 provides for rotation of auditors and audit firms in case of publicly traded
companies.
Section A
1. Define Company. (Nov/Dec-2013)
2. State Any Two Features of Global Company. (Nov/Dec-2013)
3. Define Private Company. (Nov/Dec-2014)
4. What are the Different Kinds of Company? (Nov/Dec-2009&2011)
5. Define a Joint Stock Company. (Nov/Dec-2009)
6. Define One Person Company.
7. Define Public Company.
8. What is Listed Company?
9. What is Subsidiary Company? (Nov/Dec-2011)
10. What is a Statutory Company? (Nov/Dec-2013)
11. State any two Features of Public Company. (Nov/Dec-2013)
12. What do you mean by Registered Company?
13. What do you mean by Public Company?
14. What do you mean by Foreign Company?
15. What do you mean by Holding/Subsidiary Company?
16. What do you mean by Company Limited by Guarantee Company?
17. State any four types of Companies.
18. What are the features of Companies Act, 2013?
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Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College
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“First of all comes the gift of food; next is the gift of learning,
and the highest of all is the gift of knowledge.”
-Swami Vivekananda
NAGASUDHA R.
Head, Dept. of Commerce and Management
Seshadripuram Evening College