IBBI – Changing Rules of the Game Midway

April 1 is traditionally a day of practical jokes or hoaxes or harmless pranks. Looks like, for IBBI, April 1 is a day of teaching some hard lessons to aspiring insolvency professionals, and insolvency professionals who have formed insolvency professional entities.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI or Board) has announced amendments in Insolvency Professionals Regulations changing the rules of the game from 1^st April, 2018. The major changes relate to qualification and experience necessary for registration as an Insolvency Professional (IP), undergoing continuing professional education and requirement of minimum net worth and other conditions for an Insolvency Professional entity.

Qualifications and Experience

Prior to the amendments announced on 27^th March, 2018, the registration as IP was subject to fulfilment of any of the three conditions, namely, passing of National Insolvency Examination, or passing of Limited Insolvency Examination and having 10 years of experience as a CA or CS or CMA or Advocate, or passing of Limited Insolvency Examination and having 15 years of experience in management with Bachelor’s degree.

The change brings about 3 basic conditions to be fulfilled before grant of registration as IP –

Passing of Limited Insolvency Examination (LIE) within 12 months before the date of application for enrolment with IPA;
Completion of pre-registration educational course from IPA after enrolment;
Fulfilling any one of the following criteria:

successful completion of the National Insolvency Programme; or
successful completion of the Graduate Insolvency Programme; or
fifteen years’ of experience in management with Bachelor’s degree from a university established or recognised by law; or
ten years’ of experience as chartered accountant registered as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, or company secretary registered as a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India or cost accountant registered as a member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, or advocate enrolled with the Bar Council.

Let’s analyse the changes:

The passing of LIE is now mandatory for everyone aspiring to be an IP. Earlier, passing of LIE was defacto mandatory as National Insolvency Examination (NIE) was not notified.
The registration for IP is to be applied within 12 months of passing of LIE. The celebrated myth of life time validity of LIE stands shattered. If 12 months expire, LIE is to be passed again. Probably, the Board wants that aspiring IPs should remain current. But this was something which was not unthinkable at the time of original framing of Regulations.
Pre-registration educational course from IPA after enrolment has been made mandatory. The details of such a course are still not in public domain. Add to this the likely delays in the registration process since pre-registration course is yet to be designed.
Successful completion of National Insolvency Programme, or Graduate Insolvency Programme, or fifteen years’ of experience in management with Bachelor’s degree from a university established or recognised by law; or ten years’ of experience as chartered accountant registered as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, or company secretary registered as a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India or cost accountant registered as a member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, or advocate enrolled with the Bar Council is a must.

No details are available for National Insolvency Programme, or Graduate Insolvency Programme – its duration, course curriculum, who will conduct etc. At the minimum, the Board should have been ready with details of these programs prior to introducing them through change in the Regulations.

Amendments Affect Aspirants who have passed LIE but deferred decision to Register

The change in Regulations, though prospective, affect the candidates who have passed LIE prior to 1.4.2018 but have not been granted registration. It is not clear what will be the fate of applicants whose applications are pending with Board. After 1.4.2018, in the absence of any exception in the Regulations, the Board has no power to grant registration to pending applicants unless they undergo pre-registration educational course from IPA .

Those who have not applied for registration despite having passed LIE will suffer in a similar way. This tantamount to discriminating between those who have registered and those who deferred their registration decision despite passing the LIE during the same time.

Grey area exists as to the status of those who have cleared LIE but whose applications are pending with IPAs for enrolment or with IBBI for registration or are in transit between IPAs and IBBI as on 1st April, 2018.

Some enthusiastic aspirant may challenge these amendments through a writ, and there lies a huge chance for these amendments to be set aside for such persons. At best, the Board should have made them applicable prospectively clarifying that amended regulations will be applicable to those passing LIE on or after 1.4.2018. This can still be done.

Continuous Professional Education

The Board has introduced a concept of undergoing continuing professional education, as may be required by the Board. The purpose of Regulations is to bring about clarity. Instead, through the amendments, the Board has retained power to notify requirement of continuing professional education. Perhaps, some guidelines can be expected for the number of hours and type of education. Introduction of continuing professional education is, however, a progressive step.

Change in Requirements of IPE

The change in IPE requirements are likely to hit hard the existing IPEs.

The IPEs cannot have any other business objective except provide support services to insolvency professionals, who are its partners or directors. Effectively this means that IPEs cannot render service to any other person except its own insolvency professionals.
The minimum net worth requirement of Rs. one crore is a regressive step as it is opposite to its objective of capacity building. Why the Board wants only moneyed IPEs to function? Why it was not thought of while notifying the Regulations originally? The criteria of minimum net worth has no relation to existence of IPE. These are service oriented entities and having a minimum paid-up capital has no rational relation to the objective sought to be achieved. The focus should be on intellect and knowledge rather than on paid-up capital. It is permitted to form a company without any requirement of paid-up capital but not IPE.
The requirement of majority of its shares or capital contribution to be held by insolvency professionals, who are its directors or partners also fails to satisfy the test of rationality.
The restriction that none of the partner or director of an IPE should be a partner or a director of another IPE is also beyond any comprehension.
As of 28^th March, 2018, 76 IPEs[1] have been recognised by the Board. All such IPEs have been given time till 30^th June, 2018 and 30^thSeptember, 2018 for fulfilling the criteria. Many are likely to exist IPE business, if that what IBBI wants.

The smaller IPEs with one or two partners or directors will be hit hard by these sudden changes by the Board. The amendments encourage concentration of work in few hands rather than individual insolvency professionals who have been lured by the glitter of opportunity offered by this newest profession. Instead of encouraging the professionals to come forward and join the bandwagon, the stricter Regulatory requirements have done exactly the opposite.

Dear IBBI, shifting goal post midway is never a good idea.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are views based on my personal interpretation for academic purposes alone and should not be deemed as legal or professional advise on the subject. If relied upon, the author does not take any responsibility for any liability or non-compliance.

[1] Source: http://ibbi.gov.in/insolvency-professional-entities.html