Sections 72 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.
Chapter VIII closes the Act. Section 72 says how "public notice" under the Act is given, which matters because partners' liability to outsiders after a retirement, expulsion or dissolution ends only with public notice. Section 73, on repeals, has itself been repealed. Section 74 saves rights, proceedings and other laws that existed before the Act. For help with a retirement or dissolution notice, our legal consultation service can assist.
A public notice under the Act about the retirement or expulsion of a partner from a registered firm, the dissolution of a registered firm, or the election of a former minor to become or not become a partner, is given by notice to the Registrar of Firms under section 63 and by publication in the Official Gazette and in at least one vernacular newspaper circulating in the district where the firm has its place or principal place of business. In any other case (for example an unregistered firm) it is given by publication in the Official Gazette and in at least one vernacular newspaper in that district (s.72). Section 73 (Repeals) was itself repealed (by the Repealing Act, 1938, as the text notes). Section 74 saves earlier rights, proceedings, things done, other partnership enactments not repealed, insolvency rules and consistent rules of law.
Section 72: mode of giving public notice
Public notice appears in sections 32(3), 33(2) and 45(1), where liability to outsiders continues until public notice is given. Section 72 tells you how to give it. It sets two modes.
| Case | How public notice is given |
|---|---|
| (a) A registered firm: retirement or expulsion of a partner, dissolution of the firm, or the election of a former minor to become or not to become a partner | By notice to the Registrar of Firms under section 63, and by publication in the Official Gazette and in at least one vernacular newspaper circulating in the district where the firm has its place or principal place of business |
| (b) Any other case | By publication in the Official Gazette and in at least one vernacular newspaper circulating in the district where the firm has its place or principal place of business |
Reading clause (a)
For a registered firm, three steps are named in the text:
- Notice to the Registrar under section 63; see sections 62 and 63.
- Publication in the Official Gazette.
- Publication in at least one vernacular newspaper circulating in the district where the firm has its place or principal place of business.
The text joins the three with "and". So, on its wording, notice to the Registrar alone is not the whole of public notice. The events covered are retirement or expulsion of a partner, dissolution of the firm, and the election of a minor admitted to the benefits of partnership who attains majority; the last ties to section 30.
Reading clause (b)
In any other case, for example the retirement from an unregistered firm, public notice is by Gazette publication and a vernacular newspaper in the district. There is no Registrar step because there is no register entry. The text does not say what counts as a "vernacular" newspaper or how many times to publish, and gives no form of notice.
Example (registered firm). Registered partners Sunita and Tarun dissolve their firm on 31 March. To give public notice under clause (a), notice goes to the Registrar under section 63, specifying the date, and the dissolution is published in the Official Gazette and in at least one vernacular newspaper circulating in the district of the firm's principal place of business. The partners' continuing liability to outsiders under section 45 is tied to public notice being given.
Example (unregistered firm). A partner retires from an unregistered firm. Clause (b) applies, so publication in the Gazette and a local vernacular newspaper is the way; there is no Registrar to notify. See section 32.
What section 72 does not say
- It does not say who may give the notice. That is in sections 32(4) and 45(2) and section 63.
- It does not prescribe wording, a fee or a time limit.
- It does not name any online portal; Gazette arrangements are for the State and the publishers.
Section 73: repealed
The text of section 73 reads "(Repeals) Rep. by the repealing Act, 1938 (1 of 1938) s. 2 and Sch." So section 73, which dealt with repeals of earlier enactments, has itself been repealed, and the section number remains only as a marker. There is nothing in it for a reader to apply today.
Section 74: saving
Section 74 says that nothing in this Act or any repeal effected thereby shall affect or be deemed to affect the following. The list in this copy is:
| Clause | What is saved |
|---|---|
| (a) | Any right, title, interest, obligation or liability already acquired, accrued or incurred before the commencement of this Act |
| (b) | Any legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any such right, title, interest, obligation or liability, or anything done or suffered before commencement |
| (c) | Anything done or suffered before the commencement of this Act |
| (d) | Any enactment relating to partnership not expressly repealed by this Act |
| (e) | Any rule of insolvency relating to partnership |
| (f) | Any rule of law not inconsistent with this Act |
What this means
- Clauses (a) to (c) are about history. The Act did not undo things that had already happened, and rights and remedies that arose before it came into force were kept alive. For firms today, they matter chiefly as a matter of legal background.
- Clause (d) keeps other partnership enactments alive unless this Act expressly repealed them. The text does not name any.
- Clause (e) keeps insolvency rules relating to partnership, which is consistent with the references to insolvency in sections 34, 41, 42 and 47.
- Clause (f) keeps any rule of law not inconsistent with this Act. This is the general saving that works alongside section 3, under which the Indian Contract Act, 1872 applies where the Partnership Act is silent; see sections 1 to 3. It does not reproduce any particular rule.
After section 74: not part of the Act
In the copy consulted, section 74 is the last section of the Act. Text that follows, from a Madhya Pradesh fee notification onward, is State material and not part of the central Act. This article does not rely on it.
Chapter VIII at a glance
| Section | Subject | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | Mode of public notice | Registrar notice plus Gazette plus vernacular newspaper for registered firms; Gazette plus newspaper otherwise |
| 73 | Repeals | Itself repealed; nothing to apply |
| 74 | Saving | Earlier rights, proceedings, other enactments, insolvency rules and consistent legal rules saved |
What can the deed change?
Section 72 prescribes how public notice is given for the purposes of the Act, so a deed cannot substitute a different mode for third-party purposes. The deed can say which partner arranges publication and when.
Practical points
- Prepare the notice text and the date before the retirement or dissolution takes effect.
- For a registered firm, do the Registrar notice and both publications; keep proof of each.
- For an unregistered firm, publish in the Gazette and a district vernacular newspaper.
- Send letters to known customers and suppliers as well; the section describes public notice, but direct letters help avoid disputes about knowledge.
Need help with a public notice?
An exit or dissolution is not finished until the notices are done and kept on record. Our legal consultation service can draft the notice, tell you which clause of section 72 applies to your firm, and coordinate the Registrar's notice and publications. Please send us the deed and the date of the event.
Key takeaways
- For a registered firm, public notice of a retirement, expulsion, dissolution or a former minor's election means notice to the Registrar under section 63 plus Gazette and vernacular newspaper publication (72(a)).
- In any other case, it means Gazette and vernacular newspaper publication in the district (72(b)).
- Section 73 has been repealed.
- Section 74 saves earlier rights, proceedings and things done, other partnership enactments, insolvency rules and consistent rules of law.
Read next
- Section 32: retirement of a partner
- Section 45: liability for acts of partners after dissolution
- Sections 70 and 71: penalty for false particulars and power to make rules
- Sections 1 to 3: short title, definitions and the Contract Act
Disclaimer: Based on the text of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 as consulted on 1 October 2026. Several States have amended the registration chapter and make their own rules, forms and fees for the Registrar of Firms. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text and your State's rules before acting.