The document summarizes recommendations from various committees in India on corporate governance practices for listed companies. Some of the key recommendations include:
- Boards of listed companies should have a minimum of half independent directors if the Chairman is also the Managing Director.
- Directors should not hold more than 10 directorships in listed companies.
- Audit committees should comprise of non-executive members and review financial reporting and internal controls.
- Disclosure of related party transactions and management discussion on company performance in annual reports.
- Establishment of remuneration committees to set compensation of executive directors.
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Committe Reports BECG
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CII Code recommendations (1997) Birla Committee (SEBI)
recommendations (2000)
Narayana Murthy committee (SEBI)
recommendations (2003)
Board of Directors
a) No need for German style two-tiered board
b) For a listed company with turnover exceeding Rs.
100 crores, if the Chairman is also the MD, at least
half of the board should be Independent directors,
else at least 30% .
c) No single person should hold directorships in
more than 10 listed companies.
d) Non-executive directors should be competent and
active and have clearly defined responsibilities like
in the Audit Committee.
e) Directors should be paid a commission not
exceeding 1% (3%) of net profits for a company
with(out) an MD over and above sitting fees. Stock
options may be considered too.
f) Attendance record of directors should be made
explicit at the time of re-appointment. Those with
less than 50% attendance should not be re-
appointed.
g) Key information that must be presented to the
board is listed in the code.
h) Audit Committee: Listed companies with
turnover over Rs. 100 crores or paid-up capital of
a) At least 50% non-executive members
b) For a company with an executive Chairman,
at least half of the board should be independent
directors
, else at least one-third.
c) Non-executive Chairman should have an
office and be paid for job related expenses .
d) Maximum of 10 directorships and 5
chairmanships per person.
e) Audit Committee: A board must have an
qualified and indepenent audit committee, of
minimum 3 members, all non-executive,
majority and chair independent with at least
one having financial and accounting
knowledge. Its chairman should attend AGM to
answer shareholder queries. The committee
should confer with key executives as necessary
and the company secretary should be he
seceretary of the committee. The committee
should meet at least thrice a year -- one before
finalization of annual accounts and one
necessarily every six months with the quorum
being the higher of two members or one-third
of members with at least two independent
directors. It should have access to information
from any employee and can investigate any
a) Training of board members suggested.
b) There shall be no nominee directors. All
directors to be elected by shareholders with
same responsibilities and accountabilities.
c) Non-executive director compensation to be
fixed by board and ratified by shareholders and
reported. Stock options should be vested at
least a year after their retirement. Independent
directors
should be treated the same way as
non-executive directors.
d) The board should be informed every quarter of
business risk and risk management strategies.
e) Audit Committee: Should comprise
entirely of financially literate non-executive
members with at least one member having
accounting or related financial management
expertise. It should review a mandatory list of
documents including information relating to
subsidiary companies. Whistle blowers
should have direct access to it and all
employees be informed of such policy (and this
should be affirmed annually by management).
All related party transactions must be
approved by audit committee. The committee
should be responsible for the appointment,
Independent directors defined separately within each code. The Narayana Murthy committees definition is stricter.
Table 1: Recommendations of various committees on Corporate Governance in India
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Rs. 20 crores should have an audit committee of at
least three members, all non-executive, competent
and willing to work more than other non-executive
directors, with clear terms of reference and access to
all financial information in the company and should
periodically interact with statutory auditors and
internal auditors and assist the board in corporate
accounting and reporting.
i) Reduction in number of nominee directors. FIs
should withdraw nominee directors from companies
with individual FI shareholding below 5% or total
FI holding below 10%.
matter within its TOR, can seek outside
legal/professional service as well as secure
attendance of outside experts in meetings. It
should act as the bridge between the board,
statutory auditors and internal auditors with far-
ranging powers and responsibilities.
f) Remuneration Committee: The
remuneration committee should decide
remuneration packages for executive directors.
It should have at least 3 directors, all non-
executive and be chaired by an independent
director.
g) The board should decide on the
remuneration of non-executive directors and all
remuneration information should be disclosed
in annual report
h) At least 4 board meetings a year with a
maximum gap of 4 months between any 2
meetings. Minimum information available to
boards stipulated.
removal and remuneration of chief internal
auditor.
f) Boards of subsidiaries should follow similar
composition rules as that of parent and should
have at least one independent director s of the
parent company.
g) The Board report of a parent company
should have access to minutes of board meeting
in subsidiaries and should affirm reviewing its
affairs.
h) Performance evaluation of non-executive
directors by all his fellow Board members
should inform a re -appointment decision.
i) While independent and non-executive
directors should enjoy some protection from
civil and criminal litigation, they may be held
responsible of the legal compliance in the
companys affairs.
j) Code of conduct for Board members and
senior management and annual affirmation of
compliance to it.
Disclosure and Transparency
a)Companies should inform their shareholders
about the high and low monthly averages of their
share prices and about share, performance and
prospects of major business segments (exceeding
10% of turnover).
b) Consolidation of group accounts should be
a) Companies should provide consolidated
accounts for subsidiaries where they have
majority shareholding.
b) Disclosure list pertaining to related party
transactions provided by committee till ICAIs
norm is established.
a) Management should explain and justify any
deviation from accounting standards in
financial statements.
b) Companies should move towards a regime
of unqualified financial statements.
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optional and subject to FIs and IT departments
assessment norms. If a company consolidates, no
need to annex subsidiary accounts but the definition
of group should include parent and subsidiaries.
c) Stock exchanges should require compliance
certificate from CEOs and CFOs on company
accounts
d) For companies with paid-up capital exceeding
Rs. 20 crore, disclosure norms for domestic issues
should be same as those for GDR issues.
c) A mandatory Management Discussion &
Analysis segment of annual report that includes
discussion of industry structure and
development, opportunities, threats, outlook,
risks etc. as well as financial and operational
performance and managerial developments in
HR/IR front.
d) Management should inform board of all
potential conflict of interest situations.
e) On (re)appointment of directors,
shareholders must be informed of their resume,
expertise, and names of companies where they
are directors.
c) Management should provide a clear
description, followed by auditors comments,
of each materialcontingent liability and its
risks.
d) CEO/CFO certification of knowledge,
veracity and comprehensiveness of financial
statements and directors reports and
affirmation of maintaining proper internal
control as well as appropriate disclosure to
auditors and audit committee.
e) Security analysts must disclose the
relationship of their employers with the client
company as well as their actual or intended
shareholding in the client company.
Other issues
Creditors Rights
a) FIs should rewrite loan covenants eliminating
nominee directors except in case of serious and
systematic debt default or provision of insufficient
information.
b) In case of multiple credit ratings, they should all
be reported in a format showing relative position of
the company
c) Same disclosure norms for foreign and domestic
creditors.
d) Companies defaulting on fixed deposits should
not be permitted to accept further deposits and make
inter-corporate loans or investments or declare
dividends until the default is made good.
Shareholders Rights
a) Quarterly results, presentation to analysts
etc. should be communicated to investors,
possibly over the Internet.
b) Half-yearly financial results and significant
events reports be mailed to shareholders
c) A board committee headed by a non-
executive director look into shareholder
complaints/grievances
d) Company should delegate share transfer
power to an officer/committee/registrar/share
transfer agents. The delegated authority should
attend to share transfer formalities at least once
in a fortnight.
Special Disclosure for IPOs
a) Companies making Initial Public Offering
(IPO) should informthe Audit Committee of
category-wise uses of funds every quarter. It
should get non-pre-specified uses approved by
auditors on an annual basis. The audit
committee should advise the Board for action
in this matter.