4.1.7-Companies (Share Capital and Debentures) Rules, 2014

7. Maintenance of share certificate forms and related books and documents.-

(1) All blank forms to be used for issue of share certificates shall be printed and the printing shall be done only on the authority of a resolution of the Board and the blank form shall be consecutively machine-numbered and the forms and the blocks, engravings, facsimiles and hues relating to the printing of such forms shall be kept in the custody of the secretary or such other person as the Board may authorise for the purpose; and the company secretary or other person aforesaid shall be responsible for rendering an account of these forms to the Board.

(2) The following persons shall be responsible for the maintenance, preservation and safe custody of all books and documents relating to the issue of share certificates, including the blank forms of share certificates referred to in sub-rule (1), namely:—

(a) the committee of the Board, if so authorized by the Board or where the company has a company secretary, the company secretary; or

(b) where the company has no company secretary, a Director specifically authorised by the Board for such purpose.

(3) All books referred to in sub-rule (2) shall be preserved in good order not less than thirty years and in case of disputed cases, shall be preserved permanently, and all certificates surrendered to a company shall immediately be defaced by stamping or printing the word “cancelled” in bold letters and may be destroyed after the expiry of three years from the date on which they are surrendered, under the authority of a resolution of the Board and in the presence of a person duly appointed by the Board in this behalf:

Provided that nothing in this sub-rule shall apply to cancellation of the certificates of securities, under sub-section (2) of section 6 of the Depositories Act, 1996 (22 of 1996), when such certificates are cancelled in accordance with sub-regulation (5) of regulation 54 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Depositories and Participants) Regulations, 1996, made under section 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992) read with section 25 of the Depositories Act, 1996 (22 of 1996).