| 96.                          (1) Every company other than a One Person Company shall in each year             hold in addition to any other meetings, a general meeting as its             annual general meeting and shall specify the meeting as such in the             notices calling it, and not more than fifteen months shall elapse             between the date of one annual general meeting of a company and that             of the next: Provided                          that in case of the first annual general meeting, it shall be held             within a period of nine months from the date of closing of the first             financial year of the company and in any other case, within a period             of six months, from the date of closing of the financial year : Provided             further  that if a company holds its first annual general meeting             as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary for the company to hold any             annual general meeting in the year of its incorporation: Provided             also              that the Registrar may, for any special reason, extend the             time within which any annual general meeting, other than the first             annual general meeting, shall be held, by a period not exceeding             three months. 2&3[(2)             Every annual general meeting shall be called during business hours,             that is, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day that is not a National             Holiday and shall be held either at the registered office of the             company or at some other place within the city, town or village in             which the registered office of the company is situate: 4[Provided  that annual  general meeting of an unlisted company may be held at any place in India if  consent is given in writing or by electronic mode by all the members in advance:Provided further  that]  Central Government may exempt any company from the             provisions of this sub-section subject to such conditions as it may             impose.
 Explanation.—For             the purposes of this sub-section, "National Holiday" means             and includes a day declared as National Holiday by the Central             Government.]   Exceptions/ Modifications/ Adaptations 1. In case of Section 8 company- In Sub-section (2) of Section 96 after the proviso and before the explanation the following proviso shall be inserted ;    Provided further that the time, date and place of each annual general  meeting are decided upon before-hand by the board of directors having  regard to the directions, if any, given in this regard by the company in  its general meeting.  -  Inserted  by Notification dated 5th, June 2015. 2. In  case of Government company, in Sub- section (2) of Section 96  for the words "some other place within the  city, town or village in which the registered office of the company is  situate", the words "such other place as the Central Government may  approve in this behalf” shall be substituted.  - Notification dated 5th june, 2015.              3. In case of Government Company - Sub- Section (2) of Section 96 for the words "such other place as the Central Government may approve in this behalf', the words "such other place within the city, town or village in which the registered office of the company is situate or such other place as the Central Government may approve in this behalf'shall be substitute" - Notification Dated 13th June, 2017. |