Official Gazette Notification Text
Official TranscriptGOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 329 ANSWERED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2026/MAGHA 13, 1947 (SAKA) IEPF AND C-PACE 329. SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA: Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken to address the backlog of companies that failed to file Form IEPF-1A (Investor education and Protection Fund) in the...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 329 ANSWERED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2026/MAGHA 13, 1947 (SAKA) IEPF AND C-PACE
329. SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA:
Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the steps taken to address the backlog of companies that failed to file Form IEPF-1A (Investor education and Protection Fund) in the prescribed format and the penalties levied;
(b) whether the Government has evaluated the performance of the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE);
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) the reasons for the Government mandating a geo-tagged photograph of the registered office for forms like MGT-7; and
(e) the action plan of the Government for faceless adjudication and the manner in which it will ensure fairness and transparency in online corporate default cases? 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 file Form No. IEPF-1A along with excel template within sixty days of the notification (20/8/2019) of the amended rules. To resolve cases that have arisen due to companies not filing Form IEPF-1A in the prescribed format, the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) 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 so far.
(b) & (c):- 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 of companies and Limited Liability Partnership (LLPs) were approved in FY 2024-25 by C-PACE.
(d):- As per the Companies (Management and Administration) Amendment Rules, 2025 dated 30.05.2025, it is mandatory to attach latest photograph of theregistered 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.
(e) e-Adjudication or faceless Adjudication module as part of MCA-21 was launched w.e.f. 16.09.2024. Further, the appeals heard by Regional Directors (RDs) on Adjudication order passed by Registrar of Companies (RoCs) also had been made faceless. 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. The above is ensuring transparency in disposal of corporate default cases in the country.
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