State the provisions relating to the issue of Shares with Differential Voting Rights as per Rule 4 of Companies (Share Capital & Debentures) Rules, 2014.

CS Executive · Capital Markets & Securities Laws · PYQS · December 2019
State the provisions relating to the issue of Shares with Differential Voting Rights as per Rule 4 of Companies (Share Capital & Debentures) Rules, 2014.

Answer & Explanation:

Rule 4 of Companies (Share Capital and Debentures) Rules, 2014 prescribes the following conditions for issue of DVRs : The articles of association of the company authorizes the issue of shares with differential rights; The issue of shares is authorized by ordinary resolution passed at a general meeting of the shareholders. Where the equity shares of a company are listed on a recognized stock exchange, the issue of such shares shall be approved by the shareholders through postal ballot at a general meeting; The shares with differential rights shall not exceed seventy-four percent of the total post-issue paid up equity share capital including equity shares with differential rights issued at any point of time; (Note: The original text had 26% which was amended to 74%) The company having consistent track record of distributable profit for the last three years; The company has not defaulted in filing financial statements and annual returns for three financial years immediately preceding the financial year in which it is decided to issue such shares; The company has no subsisting default in the payment of a declared dividend to its shareholders or repayment of its matured deposits or redemption of its preference shares or debentures that have become due for redemption or payment of interest on such deposits or debentures or payment of dividend; The company has not defaulted in payment of the dividend on preference shares or repayment of any term loan from a public financial institution or state level financial institution or scheduled bank that has become repayable or interest payable thereon or dues with respect to statutory payments relating to its employees to any authority or default in crediting the amount in Investor Education and Protection Fund to the Central Government. However, a company may issue equity shares with differential rights upon expiry of five years from the end of the financial year in which such default was made good. The company has not been penalized by Court or Tribunal during the last three years of any offence under any law/act as applicable. The explanatory statement to be annexed to the notice of the general meeting should contain the disclosures as mentioned in the rules. The Board of Directors shall disclose in the Board's Report for the financial year in which the issue of equity shares with differential rights was completed. The company shall not convert its existing share capital with voting rights into equity share capital carrying differential voting rights and vice-versa. The register of members maintained under section 88 of the Companies Act, 2013, shall contain all the relevant particulars of the shares so issued along with details of the shareholders.

Topics: Company Law

Open in Interactive Practice Hub · Full Practice Hub · Chapter Weightage · More in this subject

Related Questions in this Topic