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D. Murali

"GIVE me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I will move the world," said Archimedes. Now, a software named after him says, `give me place on your desktop and I will move company law for you!' True, with the Concept Paper around, an overhaul of the Companies Act is quite probable, but in the mean time, the Archimedes program — a demo of which is available on www.teamarchimedes.com — handles all the statutory provisions, including Acts, Rules, Regulations and Notifications.

"To let Archimedes know what you need, you start by filling the two spaces provided in the screen," instructs the help. "The space on the left is to be filled by a verb and the space to the right is to be filled up by a subject." Asking what a verb is? Read this: "If you want to know what is the procedure for shifting the Registered office of your company, use the verb `shift' or `change' or `move' and use `Registered office' as the subject." To let the software know your mind, you can select the section number from the scroll box it shows, but you would use it only if you knew the right numbers.

Among the features of the product are: `Charge registration manual' to help create the Forms required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies whenever a company creates/modifies/satisfies a charge; `task tracker' to assist in planning and recording progress; `effect of non-compliance' to educate about the effect, remedy and penalty for non-compliance of each step in the task; `company profiler' to enable the creation of a fact file for each company; `auto-fill' to hasten filling up forms using data from company profile; `statutory registers' to lighten the task of maintaining records; and help in knowing `proof of compliance' and SEBI requirements.

To try it out, I choose `alter' from the given verb options on the left, and `objects' from the right side, and press `Go'. Archimedes gives a sentence that reflects my intention and thereafter comes a set of four options, viz. private company, private but subsidiary of a public company, public company, and listed public company. I choose the last, and the screen shows four lines: "Convene board meeting, pass board resolution, pass resolution by postal ballot, and file return with Registrar of Companies. To explain further, there are two `libraries' with forms and other reference material. The screen has been designed like a palette with buttons of different colours — for text of section, proof of compliance, penalty, DCA circulars, related provisions, and so on.

A screen of info states that Archimedes does not cover the following: banking companies, companies limited by guarantee, government companies, foreign controlled companies, NBFCs, companies without share capital, those with unlimited liability, non-profit companies, producer companies and companies being wound up.

This is again not for accessing judgments relating to company law, nor a window into the RoC's office files and records.

Yet, there is much benefit to reap by getting Archimedes off the shrink-wrap and onto your desktop because it gives you a lever to law.

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