POSH annual report filing — s.21, Rule 14
The Internal Committee is required to prepare an annual report and submit it to the employer and the District Officer, including a nil return in years with no complaints. We prepare the report and handle the District Officer submission on the employer's behalf, for ICs already constituted under s.4.
Does this apply to us?
No complaints received this year
A nil return is still required — the reporting obligation does not depend on there having been a complaint to report.
Multiple branches
Each office or administrative unit constitutes its own IC, so reports are compiled and filed per branch, not once for the whole organisation.
IC term expired mid-year
The reporting obligation continues; who signs the report for a Committee mid-transition is confirmed at scoping.
Newly covered employer
An employer that has just crossed the 10-employee threshold owes a first annual report for the period since IC constitution; the exact cut-off is confirmed at engagement.
Fewer than 10 employees
Employers below threshold, served by a Local Committee rather than an in-house IC, are not the audience for this service.
What we deliver
Report preparation, submission to the District Officer, and nil returns where no complaints were received. Delivered onsite across Delhi NCR or online pan-India, in English or Hindi. Turnaround is up to 30 working days; report format is confirmed at scoping.
Many districts have settled on 31 January as the date by which the previous calendar year's report is expected — this is a widely applied district-level practice, not a date fixed by the Act or its Rules, and the position for your specific district is confirmed at scoping rather than assumed.
The statutory basis
| Fact | Statute |
|---|---|
| The IC prepares an annual report and submits it to the employer and the District Officer. | s.21, Rule 14 |
| Each office or administrative unit constitutes its own IC, and therefore its own report. | s.4 |
| POSH compliance disclosure is required in the Board's Report for applicable companies. | Companies Act 2013 |
| Penalty for a first contravention of the Act. | s.26(1) — up to ₹50,000 |
| On a repeat offence, government may cancel the relevant licence, registration, or approval. | s.26(2) |
Who delivers it
Reports are prepared under the supervision of our advocate panel. Full panel details, without photographs or biographies, are listed at our panel.
Price
Confirmed at scoping — depends on number of branches and whether the IC's records are complete. Full pricing detail is at pricing.
What we do not do
- We do not constitute your Internal Committee as part of this service; that is a separate engagement under Internal Committee formation.
- We do not represent your organisation before the District Officer in a dispute over a filed report; contentious matters are handled under case support.
- We do not control the District Officer's acknowledgment timeline once a report is submitted.
- We do not invent a single nationwide filing date where none is prescribed by the Act or Rules — the applicable district practice is confirmed, not assumed.
- We do not file on behalf of an IC that has not been validly constituted by written order.
Frequently asked
Do we need to file a report if we had no complaints?
Yes. A nil return is required in years with no complaints; the reporting obligation under s.21 and Rule 14 is not conditional on there having been a complaint.
Is 31 January the legal deadline?
It is a date widely applied in district practice, not one fixed by the Act or its Rules — the Act and Rules prescribe no single nationwide filing date, so the applicable position for your district is confirmed rather than assumed.
Who receives the report?
The employer and the District Officer, as required under s.21 and Rule 14.
We have multiple branches — how many reports do we file?
One per office or administrative unit, since each constitutes its own IC under s.4 and therefore has its own reporting obligation.
What happens if we miss the deadline?
Non-compliance with the Act can attract a penalty of up to ₹50,000 for a first contravention, with licence, registration, or approval cancellation possible on a repeat offence.
Does this service prepare the report or also submit it?
Both — report preparation and District Officer submission are included, along with nil returns.
Is Board's Report disclosure the same as District Officer filing?
No. Board's Report disclosure is a separate requirement under the Companies Act 2013 for applicable companies, distinct from the s.21 filing to the District Officer.
What if our IC's term expired before the reporting period closed?
The reporting obligation continues regardless; who signs for a Committee in transition is confirmed at scoping.
We just crossed the 10-employee threshold — when is our first report due?
Your first report covers the period since your IC was constituted; the exact start date is confirmed at engagement rather than assumed.
Can this service also constitute our IC?
Not within this engagement — Internal Committee formation is a separate service, and a validly constituted IC is a precondition for filing.
Where to go next
The three statutory clocks that start running, and where timelines slip.
Check this against the record
Everything on this page rests on the statute, the Rules, or a reported judgment. These are the originals — links open on the issuing body's own site.
The Government of India repository carrying the bare text of the POSH Act 2013 and its Rules.
The ministry administering the POSH Act 2013 and the SHe-Box portal.