Q.Explain the provisions relating to notice and quorum for a general meeting under the Companies Act, 2013.

Two procedural safeguards apply to every general meeting, whether an AGM or an EGM — a fair advance warning to everyone entitled to attend, and a minimum turnout before business can be validly conducted. …

Both an Annual General Meeting and an Extraordinary General Meeting must satisfy the same statutory requirements for notice and quorum, laid down in Sections 101 and 103 of the Companies Act, 2013 respectively.

Notice (Section 101): A general meeting must be called by giving not less than 21 clear days' notice, in writing or through electronic means, to every member of the company, to every director, and to the company's auditor — all of whom are entitled to attend. The term "clear days" means the 21-day count excludes both the day on which the notice is served and the day of the meeting itself, giving recipients the full benefit of the entire notice period to prepare for the meeting and decide whether and how to participate.

Quorum (Section 103): The quorum — the minimum number of members who must be personally present for a general meeting's business to be validly transacted — depends on the type of company and, for a public company, on its total membership:

Students often forget the "clear days" qualifier on the 21-day notice period (which excludes both the service date and meeting date), and frequently mix up the public-company quorum bands (5/15/30 …