Section 285 of the Act provides that every company, private or public, shall hold at least one meeting of the Board in a period of three months and four meetings in a year. But a company registered under section 25 of the Companies Act, has privilege that the Board or the Governing Body may meet at least once in six months.

The Expression ‘every three months’occuring in section 285 naturally means three months taken together. Provisions of section 285 will be fulfilled if the Board of directors meet on the first of January, or the 31st March or any date in between. Next three months should naturally comprise April to June. It is open to the Board of directors to meet on any date during three months from April to June. Similarly, the Board may, at least, meet on a particular date during July to September and so on. In section 285 there is no scope for making backward calculation.

Board meetings are normally held during business hours and on a day, which is not a public holiday. However, a Board meeting may validly be held on public holiday. Department has clarified vide Letter No. 8/11(285)/63-PR, dated 2-5-1963 that it would not raise any objection if an original Board meeting is held on a public holiday for the convenience of the directors although it considers that an original Board meeting should normally be held only on a working day.

Board meetings can be held during business hours or outside business hours. There is no restriction on that matter under the Act.

Board meetings can be held at any place whether it be a company’s registered office or head office or any other premises and whether or not it is within the same city, town, village or state in which the registered office of the company is situated. Board meeting can also be held at places other than these places including abroad.