A proxy is a person, who is appointed by a member to attend and vote at a meeting in the absence of the member. Thus proxy may be the agent or any other person authorized of the member of the company who is appointing him. The term ‘proxy’ is also used to refer to the instrument by which a person is appointed as proxy. Section 105 of the Companies Act, 2013 provides that a member, who is entitled to attend to vote, can appoint another person as a proxy to attend and vote at the meeting on his behalf. This section also provides the manner of appointing proxy.
The detailed provisions related to proxies are as follows.
Who can appoint a proxy?
Any member of a company who is entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the company shall be entitled to appoint another person as a proxy to attend and vote at the meeting on his behalf.
Proxy need not be a Member.
Proxy shall be a Member in case of companies with charitable objects etc. and not for profit registered under the specified provisions of the Act.
A Proxy can act on behalf of Members not exceeding fifty and holding in the aggregate not more than ten percent of the total share capital of the company carrying Voting Rights. However, a Member holding more than ten percent of the total share capital of the company carrying Voting Rights may appoint a single person as Proxy for his entire shareholding and such person shall not act as a Proxy for another person or shareholder. If a Proxy is appointed for more than fifty Members, he shall choose any fifty Members and confirm the same to the company before the commencement of specified period for inspection. In case, the Proxy fails to do so, the company shall consider only the first fifty proxies received as valid.
Disabilities of proxy:
A person appointed as proxy shall not have the right to give views on the agenda for which meeting is conducted at the meeting. A proxy cannot vote on a show of hands. A proxy is not counted for the purpose of quorum.
Rights of proxy:
- A proxy has the right to attend the meeting.
- A proxy has the right to vote only on a poll. A proxy, if eligible under section 109, has the right to demand a poll.
Restriction on proxy:
- A member of a company registered under section 8 shall not be entitled to appoint any other person as his proxy unless such other person is also a member of such company.
- A person appointed as proxy shall not act as proxy on behalf of more than fifty members and members holding in the aggregate more than ten percent of the total share capital of the company carrying voting rights.
- A member holding more than 10% of the total share capital of the company carrying voting rights may appoint a single person as proxy, provided that such person shall not act as proxy for any other person or shareholder.
Time limit for deposit of proxy forms
- The instrument appointing the proxy must be deposited with the company, 48 hours before the meeting. Any provision contained in the articles, requiring a longer period than 48 hours shall have effect as if a period of 48 hours had been specified.
Secretarial standard of proxies:
- SS-2 provides that proxies shall be deposited with the company either in person or through post not later than forty-eight hours before the commencement of the Meeting in relation to which they are deposited and a Proxy shall be accepted even on a holiday if the last date by which it could be accepted is a holiday.
- It requires that all Proxies received by the company shall be recorded chronologically in a register kept for that purpose.In case any Proxy entered in the register is rejected, the reasons therefor shall be entered in the remarks column.
- The prescribed form for appointing a proxy is Form No. MGT-11. It needs to be in writing and signed by the appointer or his attorney duly authorised in writing. If the appointer is a body corporate, the instrument should be under its seal or be signed by an officer or an attorney duly authorised by the body corporate. An instrument appointing a proxy, if in MGT-11, shall not be questioned on the ground that it fails to comply with any special requirement specified for such instrument by the article of a company.
- An instrument appointing a Proxy shall be either in the Form specified in the Articles or in the Form set out in the Act. An instrument of Proxy duly filled, stamped and signed, is valid only for the Meeting to which it relates including any adjournment thereof.
- If a company receives multiple proxies for the same holdings of a Member, the Proxy which is dated last shall be considered valid; if they are not dated or bear the same date without specific mention of time, all such multiple Proxies shall be treated as invalid.
- Every member entitled to vote at a meeting of the company, or on any resolution to be moved thereat, is entitled to inspect the proxies lodged with the company, if at least 3 days noticein writing is given to the company. Such notice shall be received at least three days before the commencement of the Meeting. Such inspection can be taken during the period beginning 24 hours before the time fixed for the commencement of the meeting, during the business hours of the company, and ending with the conclusion of the meeting. Such inspection should be allowed between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm during such period.
- If after appointment of proxy, the member himself attends the meeting, it amounts to automatic revocation of proxy. But once the proxy has voted, it cannot be revoked.
- If a Proxy had been appointed for the original meeting and such meeting is adjourned, any Proxy given for the adjourned Meeting revokes the Proxy given for the original Meeting.
DISCLAIMER: THE ARTICLE IS BASED ON THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS AND AS PER THE INFORMATION EXISTING AT THE TIME OF THE PREPARATION.IN NO EVENT I SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT AND INDIRECT RESULT FROM THIS ARTICLE. THIS IS ONLY A KNOWLEDGE SHARING INITIATIVE.
CAclubindia
