The Rajya Sabha on Saturday passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020, whereby fresh insolvency proceedings will not be initiated for at least six months starting from March 25 amid the coronavirus pandemic, a PTI report stated.

Replying to a debate on the Bill in the House, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the intention of the IBC is to keep companies a "going concern" and not liquidate them, the report said.

The Bill mandates that a default on repayments from March 25, the day when a nationwide lockdown began to curb the spread of coronavirus, would not be considered for initiating insolvency proceedings for at least six months, it added.

The bill seeks to replace an ordinance brought into effect in this regard in June, it further added.