Lok Sabha sends Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026 to JPC

Lok Sabha refers the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill to a JPC amid opposition concerns over CSR provisions dilution.

The Government on Monday (March 23, 2026) introduced the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, following which the House adopted a motion to send the proposed legislation to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.

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The JPC will comprise members from both Houses of Parliament for detailed analysis and recommendations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while proposing the motion for JPC reference. The motion was adopted with a voice vote.

The Bill seeks further amendments to the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, and the Companies Act, 2013 to facilitate ease of doing business and address the gaps identified by the Company Law Committee in its 2022 report. The proposed amendments are expected to rationalise penalties, shift several minor procedural lapses from criminal liability to monetary penalties, and streamline regulatory processes to promote ease of doing business.

Ms. Sitharaman said the Bill was aimed at promoting further ease of doing business and ease of living for corporates by decriminalising more provisions and amending certain other provisions.

When the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha, opposition members like Manish Tewari (Congress), Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) and T. Sumathy (DMK) opposed it, claiming the legislation sought to dilute the provisions of law under which companies mandatorily have to pay 2% of their profit towards corporate social responsibility (CSR).