ICSI Requests MCA for Extension of Annual E-Form Filing Due Dates to 31 December 2026 Without Additional Fees
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has formally approached the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) seeking an extension of the due dates for filing annual e-forms under the Companies Act, 2013, up to 31 December 2026, without the imposition of additional fees. The representation, bearing reference G&CL: MCA: OCT:01/2026, was dated 9 October 2026 and addressed to Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
Important Disclaimer: This representation constitutes a formal request from ICSI to the MCA and does not, by itself, extend any statutory filing deadline. Companies and professionals must continue to comply with existing due dates unless and until a formal notification or circular is issued by the MCA.
Background and Context
The ICSI, while acknowledging the MCA's sustained efforts in strengthening India's corporate regulatory architecture and advancing the Ease of Doing Business agenda through the MCA-21 V3 platform, has simultaneously drawn the Ministry's attention to a range of serious operational and technical hurdles that stakeholders are currently encountering on the portal.
The Institute has been receiving a volume of representations from companies, company secretaries, and other compliance professionals regarding difficulties in completing annual statutory filings in a timely and accurate manner. These concerns form the foundation of the extension request.
Key Grievances Raised by Stakeholders
1. Persistent Technical Failures on the MCA-21 V3 Portal
A central concern flagged in the ICSI representation relates to ongoing technical disruptions on the MCA-21 V3 portal, which has been a persistent source of frustration for the compliance community. The specific issues reported include:
- Frequent portal downtime and sluggish response times that delay form preparation and submission
- Session timeouts and automatic logouts occurring mid-way through form preparation, resulting in loss of entered data
- Login difficulties, problems with profile updates, and restrictions in user access management
- Errors in pre-filled data and inconsistencies in how information is retrieved from the portal's backend
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) association failures, preventing authorised signatories from completing filings
- Form validation errors arising even when correct data has been entered
- Issues in SRN generation, payment processing, and challan downloads
- Inability to view, download, or track previously filed forms and approval statuses
These technical glitches, according to ICSI, are not isolated incidents but a recurring pattern that has significantly hampered the ability of stakeholders to complete time-bound compliance obligations.