Cos 13 — Alteration of memorandum

Companies Act, 2013

Statutory text

(1) Save as provided in section 61, a company may, by a special resolution  and  after  complying  with  the  procedure  specified  in  this  section,  alter  the  provisions  of  its memorandum.
(2) Any change in the name of a company shall be subject to the provisions of sub-sections (2) and (3) of section 4 and shall not have effect except with the approval of the Central Government in writing:
Provided that no such approval shall be necessary where the only change in the name of the company is the deletion therefrom, or addition thereto, of the word “Private”, consequent on the conversion of any one class of companies to another class in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

(3) When any change in the name of a company is made under sub-section (2), the Registrar shall enter the new name in the register of companies in place of the old name and issue a fresh certificate of incorporation with the new name and the change in the name shall be complete and effective only on the issue of such a certificate.
(4) The alteration of the memorandum relating to the place of the registered office from one State to another shall not have any effect unless it is approved by the Central Government on an application in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
(5) The Central Government shall dispose of the application under sub-section (4) within a period of sixty days and before passing its order may satisfy itself that the alteration has the consent of the creditors, debenture-holders and other persons concerned with the company or that the sufficient provision has been made by the company either for the due discharge of all its debts and obligations or that adequate security has been provided for such discharge.
(6) Save as provided in section 64, a company shall, in relation to any alteration of its memorandum, file with the Registrar—
(a) the special resolution passed by the company under sub-section (1);
(b) the  approval  of  the  Central  Government  under  sub-section (2),  if  the  alteration  involves  any change in the name of the company.
(7) Where an alteration of the memorandum results in the transfer of the registered office of a company from one State to another, a certified copy of the order of the Central Government approving the alteration shall be filed by the company with the Registrar of each of the States within such time and in such manner as may be prescribed, who shall register the same, and the Registrar of the State where the registered office is being shifted to, shall issue a fresh certificate of incorporation indicating the alteration.
(8) A company, which has raised money from public through prospectus and still has any unutilised amount  out  of  the  money  so  raised,  shall  not  change  its  objects  for  which  it  raised  the  money  through prospectus unless a special resolution is passed by the company and—
(i)  the  details,  as  may  be  prescribed,  in  respect  of  such  resolution  shall  also  be  published  in  the newspapers (one in English and one in vernacular language) which is in circulation at the place where the registered office of the company is situated and shall also be placed on the website of the company, if any, indicating therein the justification for such change;
(ii)  the  dissenting  shareholders  shall  be  given  an  opportunity  to  exit  by  the  promoters  and shareholders  having  control  in  accordance  with  regulations  to  be  specified  by  the  Securities  and Exchange Board.
(9)  The  Registrar  shall  register  any  alteration  of  the  memorandum  with  respect  to  the  objects  of  the company  and  certify  the  registration  within a  period of thirty  days  from  the  date  of  filing  of  the  special resolution in accordance with clause (a) of sub-section (6) of this section.
(10) No alteration made under this section shall have any effect until it has been registered in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(11) Any alteration of the memorandum, in the case of a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital, purporting to give any person a right to participate in the divisible profits of the company otherwise than as a member, shall be void.

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