Section 468: Powers of Central Government to make rules relating to winding up

Companies Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
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Act 2013
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Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 468

Section 468 empowers the Central Government to make rules regulating the complete substantive and procedural architecture of winding up of companies, pending the comprehensive integration of the insolvency framework.

  • Subordinate Rule-Making Authority for Liquidation: Empowers the Central Government to formulate rules governing winding-up petitions, liquidator appointments, claims verification, and asset distribution.
  • Interplay with IBC and NCLT: Bridges company court winding-up rules with the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process and liquidation mechanics under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
  • Standard Parliamentary Oversight: Mandates that all rules promulgated under this section must be laid before Parliament for thirty days, subject to negative resolution.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • J.K. (Bombay) (P) Ltd. v. New Kaiser-I-Hind Spg. & Wvg. Co. Ltd., AIR 1970 SC 189: Held that rules regulating winding up are designed to ensure equitable pari passu distribution among creditors, preventing individual creditors from racing for corporate assets.
  • Action Ispat and Power Ltd. v. Shyam Metalics and Energy Ltd., (2021) 2 SCC 641: Analyzed the transition of winding-up rules under the Companies Act to the liquidation regulations framed under the IBC.
  • St. Johns Teachers Training Institute v. Regional Director, NCTE, (2003) 3 SCC 321: Affirmed that rule-making power must be construed to facilitate the effective implementation of the parent statute's core objects.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

In winding-up proceedings conducted before NCLT under Chapter XX, determine whether the company is being wound up on just and equitable grounds (Section 271) or under IBC insolvency; the procedural rules governing liquidator reports differ fundamentally between Section 468 rules and IBBI regulations.