Paragraphs 18 20 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The last three paragraphs of SS-2 deal with what happens after the meeting. Paragraph 18 says how long records are kept and who holds them. Paragraph 19 requires a separate report on the AGM from every listed public company. Paragraph 20 links the AGM date to the annual return. The Standard then fixes its own effective date.
The version explained here is SS-2, as revised, effective from 1 April 2024 (approved by the Central Government under section 118(10)). ICSI may revise the Standards, so check the current version on icsi.edu. If a later change in the Companies Act makes any part of SS-2 inconsistent, the Act prevails. Companies that file the post-AGM report as part of their annual filing calendar should keep these three paragraphs in the same checklist.
Minutes of all meetings are preserved permanently, in physical form or electronic form with Timestamp. Office copies of notices, scrutiniser's reports and related papers are kept for as long as they remain current or for eight financial years, whichever is later. Every listed public company prepares a report on the AGM and files it with the Registrar within thirty days of the meeting. The annual return must disclose the AGM date.
Paragraph 18: preservation and custody
| Para | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 18.1 | Minutes of all meetings are preserved permanently, physically or electronically with Timestamp. Where a scheme of arrangement merges or amalgamates a company into another, the transferee company preserves the transferor's minutes permanently, even if the transferor is dissolved |
| 18.2 | Office copies of notices, the scrutiniser's report and related papers are kept in good order, physically or electronically, for as long as they remain current or for eight financial years, whichever is later. They may be destroyed after that with the Board's approval. The same applies to a transferor's papers handed to the transferee, with the Board's approval and, where applicable, the permission of the Central Government |
| 18.3 | Minutes books are in the custody of the Company Secretary, or if there is none, a Director authorised by the Board |
The rules on inspection, preservation periods and electronic record-keeping are in Rules 14 to 16 of the Management and Administration Rules, and the Act's provisions on the minutes book are in the section 118 guide. The Standard's eight-financial-year period for notices and scrutiniser papers is a Standard-level rule; the rule article lists the statutory preservation periods for registers and returns.
Paragraph 19: the report on the Annual General Meeting
Every listed public company prepares a report on the AGM in the prescribed form, including confirmation that the meeting was convened, held and conducted as the Act requires. The report is a fair and correct summary of the proceedings and contains:
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| (a) | Day, date, time and venue |
| (b) | Confirmation of the appointment of the Chairman |
| (c) | Number of members attending |
| (d) | Confirmation of quorum |
| (e) | Confirmation of compliance with the Act and the Standards on calling, convening and conducting the meeting |
| (f) | Business transacted and the result, with a brief summary of discussions |
| (g) | Particulars of any adjournment, postponement or change of venue |
| (h) | Any other relevant points |
The report is filed with the Registrar within thirty days of the conclusion of the AGM. This is in addition to the minutes. The statutory side is in sections 121 and 122 on the AGM report, and the prescribed form (MGT-15), signing arrangements and fee are explained in Rules 27 to 31 of the Management and Administration Rules. The rule article states who signs the report; the Standard is silent on signatories, so follow the rule.
Item (e) matters in practice: the person signing is confirming compliance with SS-2 itself, so the report should be prepared only after the checks in the earlier paragraphs, notice, quorum, poll and minutes, are complete.
Paragraph 20: disclosure
The annual return of a company discloses the date of the Annual General Meeting held during the financial year. The return itself is covered in our guide to the annual return forms and their disclosures; the Standard simply makes the AGM date a disclosed item.
Effective date
SS-2 as revised comes into effect from 1 April 2024. The earlier version was effective from 1 October 2017. The 2024 schedule of amendments changed only the date here; paragraphs 18 to 20 are otherwise unchanged. The full list of 2024 changes is in the article on the revised SS-1 and SS-2.
Checklist for the Company Secretary
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| After the meeting | Prepare the AGM report (listed public company) alongside the minutes |
| Within thirty days | File the report with the Registrar |
| Before year-end | Record the AGM date for the annual return |
| Ongoing | Keep minutes permanently; keep notices and scrutiniser reports for eight financial years or while current, whichever is later |
| Before destroying papers | Obtain Board approval; check transferor-company papers for Central Government permission where applicable |
A worked example
Meridian Textiles Limited, a listed public company, holds its AGM on 14 August. The Company Secretary prepares the AGM report within days, recording the Chairman's appointment, the quorum, that notice and voting followed the Act and SS-2, the business and results, and that one item was taken up after a short adjournment. The report is filed with the Registrar within thirty days of the meeting. When Meridian absorbs a small subsidiary under a scheme, the subsidiary's minutes books are handed over and preserved permanently in the Company Secretary's custody. Notices and scrutiniser reports from a seven-year-old AGM are kept for the eighth financial year before the Board approves their destruction.
Need help with post-meeting filings?
The AGM report, annual return and financial statements are all linked to the same meeting date. TaxClue's annual filing team for large companies and section 8 companies can track the post-AGM filings and the AGM report for your company.
Key takeaways
- Minutes are preserved permanently; physical or electronic with Timestamp.
- Notices, scrutiniser's reports and related papers are kept for eight financial years or while current, whichever is later.
- A transferee company preserves a transferor company's minutes permanently.
- Every listed public company files a report on the AGM within thirty days of the meeting.
- The annual return discloses the AGM date.
Read next
- Paragraph 17 of SS-2: minutes of general meetings
- Secretarial Standards SS-1 to SS-4: mandatory or recommendatory
- Sections 121 and 122: report on AGM
- Maintenance of the minutes book under section 118
Disclaimer: Based on the Secretarial Standards issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (SS-1 and SS-2 as revised effective 1 April 2024; SS-3 effective 1 January 2018; SS-4 effective 1 October 2018), as consulted on 3 October 2026. ICSI revises the Standards from time to time; check the current versions on icsi.edu and the Companies Act provisions referred to. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.