Law ministry allows CCI to clear pending mergers without full quorum

16 applications pending; corporate affairs ministry studying proposal, say sources

The law ministry has given its nod to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to take decisions on pending combination applications without full quorum by invoking the doctrine of necessity, a senior government official said.

At present, applications for 16 combinations or mergers, several of them involving global companies, have been pending approval at the CCI as it lacks quorum. To approve combinations, the CCI needs a quorum of three members. After the retirement of the former CCI chairperson Ashok Gupta, there are only two members.

The doctrine of necessity enables legal authorities to take certain actions at a particular