Parliament Question: IEPF and C-PACE

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1180 ANSWERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025/AGRAHAYANA 17, 1947 (SAKA) IEPF AND C-PACE +1180. SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:

SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR DUBEY:

SHRI DAMODAR AGARWAL:

MS KANGNA RANAUT:

SMT. ANITA NAGARSINGH CHOUHAN:

SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI:

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken by the Government to resolve cases arising due to companies not filing form IEPFA-1A in the prescribed format and lying pending along with the details of the penalties imposed;

(b) the benefits accrued to the Investors of the Dahod Lok Sabha constituency from the disposal of pending cases related to the IEPF-1A forms;

(c) whether the Government has evaluated the performance of the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) especially in Dahod in Gujarat;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) the reasons for the Government mandating submission of geo-tagged photographs of the registered office for forms like MGT-7 and the manner in which it has enhanced transparency especially in Dahod in Gujarat;

(f) the Government’s action plan regarding faceless adjudication process;

(g) the provisions made by the Government to ensure transparency and fairness in online corporate default cases;

(h) the benefits accrued to the Investors of the Dahod Lok Sabha constituency from the disposal of pending cases related to IEPF-1A forms; and

(i) the manner in which the faceless adjudication system is ensuring transparency in online default cases in the country especially in Dahod in Gujarat ? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (HARSH MALHOTRA)

(a):- As per Rule 5 (4A) of Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund) Rules, 2016 companies are required to fileForm No. IEPF-1A along with excel template within sixty days of the notification (20/8/2019) of the amended rules. To resolve cases that has arisen due to companies not filing Form IEPF-1A in the prescribed format, the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) has issued a Public Notice on 31.07.2025 to all defaulting companies, giving a compliance window until 30 August 2025, to ensure submission of Form IEPF-1A in the prescribed format. No penalty has been levied.

(b) & (h):- The IEPF-1A forms are filed company-wise. Therefore, the disposal of such cases benefits investors of the respective companies across the country, including such investors of Dahod.

(c) & (d):- The Ministry has established the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to facilitate and speed up the voluntary Strike off of companies and has been operationalized from 01.05.2023. A total of 22051 applications were approved in FY 2024-25 by C-PACE. One company was struck–off by Registrar of Companies (ROC), C-PACE during FY 2024-25 from Dahod, Gujarat.

(e):- As per the Companies (Management and Administration) Amendment Rules, 2025 dated 30.05.2025, it is mandatory to attach latest photograph of the registered office of the Company showing external building with name & address prominently visible. This is aligned with the requirements specified in Section 12(3)(a) and Section 92(1)(a) of the Companies Act, 2013, under which the particulars of registered office, which would mean precise location of such office, are required to be disclosed. The geo-tagging of the registered office would ensure that these forms capture the precise location of the registered office. These steps enhance transparency and traceability of the companies across the country including those at Dahod, Gujrat.

(f) & (g):- The Companies (Adjudication of Penalties) Rules, 2014 have been amended in August, 2024 pursuant to which it has been provided that the adjudication proceedings under section 454 of the Companies Act, 2013 shall take place in electronic mode only through the e-adjudication platform developed by the Ministry for this purpose. e-Adjudication or faceless Adjudication module as part of MCA21 has been launched, w.e.f. 16-09-2024. This is aimed at ensuring that adjudication of such proceedings take place in a faster, transparent and user- friendly manner.

(i) The faceless or e-Adjudication system provides for end-to-end digital process including online generation of notices, hearings, generation of adjudication orders and payments. This enhances transparency as well as enable speeder adjudication.

These benefits are applicable to all related stakeholders including those located in Dahod. ******