Split of Chairperson and Managing Director mandated for top listed companies under SEBI amendment with a transition period.
SEBI amended the Listing Regulations, following Kotak Committee recommendations, to require separation of the roles of chairperson and managing director/CEO for the largest listed companies by market capitalization, with a transition period for implementation; the first proviso to section 203(1) of the Companies Act permits exceptions where company articles allow dual roles or the company does not undertake multiple businesses.

Business responsibility guidelines updated to NGs; public consultation open to inform reporting and principles framework.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has issued draft National Guidelines (NGs), updating the 2011 National Voluntary Guidelines in light of the Companies Act, 2013 and global changes, and invited public comments until August 10, 2018. The draft, prepared with an Expert Committee and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, contains five chapters and four annexures and requests focused input on Chapter 2 (Principles and Core Elements) and Chapter 5 (Business Responsibility Reporting Framework). Respondents must use the provided response form and submit comments by the deadline for Review Committee consideration.

Registered Valuers urged to maintain professional conduct and adopt regulated self-regulation under valuation rules for trusted valuations.
Registration certificates were awarded to the first Registered Valuers under the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation) Rules, establishing an institutional framework that endorses regulated self-regulation via Registered Valuers Organisations. Valuers are required to maintain professional behaviour, competence and accountability in determining intrinsic value-notably in insolvency contexts-while remaining able to undertake other lawful valuation work within applicable legal limits.

Decriminalisation of company law offences: propose reclassification to civil penalties with in house adjudication and adjudicating officers
A ten member Committee will review penal provisions under the Companies Act, 2013 to consider de criminalisation by reclassifying certain compoundable offences as civil defaults subject to penalties by an adjudicating officer, and to assess whether some non compoundable offences can be made compoundable; it will also propose an MCA21 driven in house adjudicatory mechanism, improvements to penalty levy, draft law changes, and report recommendations to the Central Government.

Notifiability of mergers: CCI launches online DIY guidance to determine when combinations require notification.
CCI has launched an online "Do It Yourself (DIY)" guidance toolkit to assess notifiability of mergers and acquisitions under the Competition Act, 2002. The interactive application uses a staged assessment based on the Act, CCI regulations and exemption notifications from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to guide stakeholders in determining whether a proposed combination requires notification, as part of CCI's outreach and compliance simplification measures.