Consultation requirement: Central Government may use an interim committee for auditor report matters until the permanent regulator is constituted.
The Order permits the Central Government, until the National Financial Reporting Authority is constituted, to meet the consultation requirement by consulting a Committee chaired by a Joint Secretary rank officer in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, comprising representatives of the accounting profession and industry chambers and special invitees from the national advisory accounting body and the Comptroller and Auditor General, and is deemed effective from the date of the earlier auditor report Order.

Auditor's report requirements now mandate specific disclosures on assets, loans, statutory dues and compliance in company accounts.
The Order requires that every auditor's report under section 143 for applicable companies include the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4, covering asset records and verification, inventory verification, loans and recoverability, compliance with sections 185 and 186, deposit and RBI directives compliance, maintenance of cost records, statutory dues and disputes, defaults on borrowings, application of public issue and term loan funds, fraud reporting, managerial remuneration compliance, related party transactions, preferential allotments/private placements, non-cash director transactions, Nidhi company requirements, and registration under section 45-IA where applicable; unfavourable or qualified answers must state reasons.

Buy-back offer period may be shortened where all members agree under the amended share capital rules.
The Companies (Share Capital and Debentures) Rules, 2014 are amended by inserting a proviso to rule 17 providing that where all members of a company agree, the offer for buy back may remain open for a period less than fifteen days; the amendment is effected under sub sections (1) and (2) of Section 469 of the Companies Act, 2013 and comes into force on publication in the Official Gazette.

Central Registration Centre jurisdiction centralises processing of company incorporation forms and name approvals nationwide.
The notification centralises initial incorporation processing by empowering the Central Registration Centre to process specified incorporation e-forms and to exercise name-approval authority, while local Registrars retain jurisdiction over companies after incorporation for all other provisions of the Act and associated rules.

Certificate of Incorporation format updated: substituted incorporation form prescribes content, CIN entry and Registrar signature.
The amendment replaces Form INC-11 in the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 with a revised Certificate of Incorporation template requiring the incorporation date in words, the company name and address as per Registrar records, an explicit CIN field, and a certification and signature block for the Registrar of Companies at the Central Registration Centre; the rules commence on publication in the Gazette.

Buyback accounting basis updated: calculations may use recent unaudited accounts within six months subject to limited review.
Where audited accounts are more than six months old, buy back calculations shall be based on unaudited accounts not older than six months from the date of the offer document, provided those unaudited accounts have been subjected to limited review by the auditors of the company.

Debt-to-capital ratio prescribed for government companies carrying out non-banking finance and housing finance activities under Companies Act notification
Central Government, under the proviso to clause (d) of sub-section (2) of the Companies Act, 2013, notifies that the debt to capital and free reserves ratio shall be six-to-one for government companies carrying on Non-Banking Finance Institution activities and Housing Finance activities, thereby prescribing a statutory leverage limit for those government-owned entities.

Central Registration Centre for company name reservation centralises processing of INC 1 applications under ROC Delhi control.
Establishes a Central Registration Centre (CRC) to process and dispose of e Form INC 1 name reservation applications across India, under the administrative control of the Registrar of Companies, Delhi (who will act as CRC Registrar until a separate Registrar is appointed); e Form INC 29 name processing remains with the respective Registrar of Companies; CRC located at the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon; effective 26 January 2016.

Reservation of company name: revised INC 1 and registrar powers for approval, rejection and document rectification.
Amendments substitute Rule 9 to require that applications for reservation of a name be made in Form INC-1 with the prescribed fee and may be approved or rejected by the Registrar, Central Registration Centre. Rule 36 is amended to permit a third opportunity for rectifying defective documents after resubmission, subject to a total resubmission period not exceeding thirty days. The principal Form INC-1 is also replaced by a revised Form INC-1 detailing applicant, promoter and proposed-director information, proposed name particulars, required attachments and statutory declarations.

Investor Protection Authority: establishes composition, appointments, governance and functions to administer the Investor Education and Protection Fund.
Establishes the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority to administer the IEPF, constituted by notification with an ex officio Chairperson (Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs), a Central Government appointed Chief Executive Officer as convenor, and six members including specified ex officio nominees and four expert members. Sets member tenure, reappointment limits, grounds and procedure for removal, meeting frequency and quorum, conflict disclosure obligations, protection for acts in good faith, and core functions across Administration, Investment/Funds Management, Claims and Settlement, Legal and Enforcement, Investor Education and Protection, and Finance, Accounts and Audit.

Commencement of Section 125 provisions: government appoints their coming into force, except administration manner of IEPF.
Central Government appoints a date for commencement of specified companies statute provisions related to the Investor Education and Protection Fund, bringing subsections concerning the Fund into force while excepting the provisions as to the manner of administration of the Fund from immediate commencement.