Valuer registration: online valuation examinations begin enabling registration subject to prescribed qualifications, RVO course, and passing the exam.
IBBI is commencing computer based valuation examinations for registration of Registered Valuers under the Companies (Registered Valuers and Valuation) Rules, 2017 for three asset classes. For registration, a person must have prescribed qualification and experience, be enrolled as a member of a Registered Valuer Organisation, complete the RVO conducted educational course, and pass the IBBI valuation examination; IBBI has specified the syllabus, examination format and minimum course delivery requirements.

Investigation into corporate affairs ordered: SFIO assigned to probe Fortis, highlighting enhanced fraud offence and governance measures.
An investigation into Fortis Healthcare Ltd has been ordered and assigned to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), which will examine all issues in their entirety and is currently in the initial stage. The announcement places this assignment against SFIO's recent caseload of company investigations, noting pending matters include quashed, withdrawn and stayed cases, and records Government measures including treating fraud as a substantive offence, strengthened corporate governance norms and use of ICT tools for detection.

Non-filing prosecutions prompt enforcement action and strike-offs of inactive companies under company law provisions resulting in removals.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs initiated prosecutions against 780 listed entities for failure to file financial statements and annual returns. RoC data for FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17 show variations in registrations and closures. Under Section 248(1)(c), 2.97 lakh inactive companies were identified and 2,26,166 names were struck off by 31.12.2017 after following the prescribed process.

International competition cooperation urged to adopt phased global antitrust cooperation and address digital economy challenges.
The text urges strengthened international cooperation in competition law through a phased, flexible and planned approach to cross-border investigations and merger review, promoting alignment of policies to avoid inconsistent application and to integrate enforcement globally. It emphasises adapting agency tools and cooperative arrangements to address digital economy challenges-such as big data, artificial intelligence, internet-of-things and distributed ledger technologies-while maintaining a consumer welfare focus and pursuing procedural and substantive convergence among competition authorities.

Corporate investigation orders target group companies and LLPs under SFIO probe linked to bank fraud.
An SFIO inquiry has been ordered into 107 companies and 7 LLPs linked to Nirav Modi and Mehul Chinubhai Choksi under Section 212(1)(c) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Section 43(3)(c)(i) of the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud; the Government ordered the probe on 17 February 2018 and the investigation is ongoing.

Competition law cooperation advances as India hosts international conference to promote enforcement convergence and cross border coordination.
India will host the International Competition Network 17th Annual Conference in New Delhi, assembling senior competition agencies, advisors and experts to promote procedural and substantive convergence in enforcement, strengthen cross border cooperation, and share strategies for effective competition law enforcement in global and digital markets. The programme includes plenary and breakout sessions on cartel enforcement, advocacy, judicial perspectives, vertical mergers, online markets and enforcement implementation.

Corporate adjudication caseload: managing pending merger, insolvency and company proceedings using time-bound disposal and IT systems.
Dissolution of the predecessor corporate adjudicatory forum has left a consolidated tribunal with a substantial caseload spanning merger and amalgamation matters, insolvency petitions and other company-act cases. Administrative emphasis is on meeting statutory timeframes under the Companies Act and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code through procedural reforms and extensive use of electronic information and case-management systems to expedite disposal.

Resolution professional authority: no shareholder approval required during insolvency resolution plan approval under the Code.
The procedural framework under the Code confines receipt, consideration and approval of a resolution plan to the resolution professional and the Adjudicating Authority without requiring shareholder or member approval; regulatory amendments require selection of a credible resolution plan that maximises asset value and prohibit persons whose antecedents may impair the process from submitting resolution plans.

Prohibition on certain persons submitting resolution plans strengthens vetting and submission requirements under the amended insolvency framework.
Amendments impose prohibitions on certain persons submitting resolution plans and add submission and consideration requirements to strengthen the insolvency resolution process, targeting participants whose antecedents may compromise credibility and mandating enhanced vetting by the decision-making body prior to approval.

Vanishing companies classification limits regulatory reach; traced firms face coordinated company and criminal law enforcement and monitoring continues.
Vanishing companies are limited to entities that were listed at public issue and are subject to coordinated tracing and enforcement; a dedicated Coordination and Monitoring Committee has traced a majority of identified listed vanished companies and actions under company and criminal law against those companies and their directors/promoters are underway. Companies struck off under Section 248 of the Companies Act, 2013 are excluded from the vanishing-companies definition, and closure of regional stock exchanges by SEBI does not alter listing status except per SEBI procedures.

Corporate Social Responsibility compliance triggers penal action against companies under Companies Act procedural provisions when violations are found
Permission has been granted to initiate penal action against 199 companies for non compliance with Corporate Social Responsibility obligations under the Companies Act. The statement records that there is no proposal to review the CSR implementation framework and that enforcement proceedings are commenced under the Act's enforcement provisions when CSR violations are detected.

Regulatory authority power to impose penalties on audit firms follows firm registration and firm-level disciplinary procedures.
The statutory framework is amended to vest a regulatory authority with power to impose penalties on audit firms, contingent on formal registration and subjecting firms to disciplinary procedures analogous to those for individual members, including investigation, proceedings, and sanctioning mechanisms.

Independent audit regulation: NFRA to oversee audits of listed and large unlisted companies and investigate auditors.
Establishment of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) as an independent regulator for the auditing profession with specified leadership posts, tasked with enforcing auditing standards and improving audit quality. NFRA's investigatory jurisdiction under section 132 will cover listed companies and large unlisted public companies as per thresholds in Rules, with the Central Government able to refer other entities on public interest grounds. ICAI retains its regulatory role for members generally and for audits of private limited and smaller public unlisted companies below the thresholds, QRB continues quality reviews and ICAI provides advisory input on standards to NFRA.

Auto-enrolment under National Pension System proposed to extend pension coverage with opt out mechanism and expanded outreach.
Regulatory action contemplated includes consideration of an auto enrolment arrangement within the National Pension System to create soft compulsion for employees in government identified sectors and parts of the unorganised sector, operable through an opt out design, while the regulator will increase outreach of the National Pension System and Atal Pension Yojana and promote financial literacy and subscriber mobilisation.

Public housing memorandum establishes interagency framework and PMC appointment to address government accommodation shortage.
A memorandum of understanding was executed between a central economic affairs department and a state-owned construction corporation to develop a public housing project for officers on ministry-allocated government land in the national capital; the construction entity has been appointed as Project Management Consultancy under the MoU to address an acute shortfall in Government General Pool Accommodation.

India-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission Meeting: co-chair to open Saudi-Indian Business Council and meet Saudi trade minister
The Union Finance Minister will undertake a two-day official bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia to co-chair the India-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission Meeting in Riyadh, open the Saudi-Indian Business Council, visit the India Pavilion at the Janadriyah festival, and meet the Saudi Minister of Trade & Investment along with other senior Saudi dignitaries.

Prospectus and allotment amendment rules invite stakeholder comments via designated email with specified contact and format requirements.
Invitation for public consultation on the draft Companies (Prospectus and allotment of Securities) Amendment Rules, 2018 posted on the ministry website, requesting stakeholder suggestions by the specified deadline via the designated email. Submissions must include name, contact number, email and postal address and follow the prescribed format identifying serial number, rule number, suggestion and brief justification.

Beneficial interest rules consultation: stakeholders invited to submit structured comments with justifications by prescribed deadline.
Notice solicits stakeholder comments on the proposed Companies (Beneficial Interest and Significant Beneficial Interest) Rules, 2018 via email, requiring each submission to include the sender's name, contact details, and a structured format mapping suggestions to specific rule numbers with brief justifications; the draft rules are posted on the Ministry website and a deadline for receipt of comments is specified.

Beneficial ownership rules require declarations, company registers and Tribunal-backed restrictions for unidentified significant beneficial owners.
The draft Rules require declarations by registered owners (Form BEN-1) and beneficial owners (Form BEN-2) within thirty days of registration or acquisition, company filing of returns (Form BEN-3) and maintenance of a register and returns for significant beneficial owners (Forms BEN-4, BEN-5, BEN-6). Companies must issue prescribed notices (Form BEN-7) to ascertain SBOs; recipients must respond within thirty days or the company may apply to the Tribunal for restrictions on the shares, including transfer, dividend and voting suspensions. The Rules include specified forms, inspection and fee provisions, limited exemptions and incorporate an amendment broadening the concept of beneficial interest and prescribing penalties for non-compliance.

Duties of resolution professionals stressed: continuous training and robust bidding processes to facilitate value creating insolvency resolutions.
IBBI convened a conclave highlighting the duties of resolution professional, the need for continuous professional training and specialised in house expertise within Insolvency Professional Agencies, and the role of insolvency professionals as facilitators of value creation through robust process flows and governance in bidding and resolution steps.