Recent Current Affairs related to SEBI

The National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) has launched the first exchange-traded weather derivatives contract in India, named “RAINMUMBAI”, marking the entry of the country into a regulated weather-risk trading market.

Scheduled for implementation in June 2026, the contract is designed to hedge the financial exposure of rainfall extremes and variability in Mumbai. It was developed in collaboration with the IIT Bombay and is based on official rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department. The contract features a tick size of 1 millimeter (mm) with a lot multiplier of ₹50 per mm and a maximum order size of 50 lots.

The National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), established by the SEBI, has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to advance Corporate Governance, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, and capital markets in India.

The collaboration will focus on knowledge exchange, research, policy support, and cooperation in financial and corporate regulation.

The SEBI has proposed a new regulatory framework named ‘Green Channel: Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) Rollout Upon Document Acknowledgement (GARUDA)’ to accelerate the launch and approval process of AIF schemes in India.

The GARUDA mechanism aims to streamline the processing of Placement Memorandums (PPMs) to facilitate faster fundraising. Under this, the waiting period for Non-Accredited Investor schemes is reduced from 30 days to 10 working days after filing the PPM. Additionally, Angel Funds and Accredited Investor-only schemes can commence fundraising almost immediately after filing their documents with the regulator.

The SEBI has constituted a specialized task force named ‘Cyber suraksha.ai’ to assess cybersecurity risks associated with advanced AI tools and enhance cyber resilience.

The task force consists of representatives from Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs), Qualified Registrar and Transfer Agents (QRTAs), and Regulated Entities (REs), along with other relevant stakeholders.

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has launched the Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) segment after receiving regulatory approval from the SEBI.

The initiative aims to create a transparent and efficient gold trading ecosystem by enhancing price discovery and broadening market participation. It also aims to strengthen investor confidence through a modernized and regulated trading framework.

The SEBI has operationalized the “Past Risk and Return Verification Agency” (PaRRVA) framework, a global initiative to standardize performance disclosures and prevent misleading claims. CARE Ratings Ltd is the designated agency for the independent validation of performance claims, while the National Stock Exchange (NSE) will act as the PaRRVA Data Centre (PDC). The framework applies to Investment Advisers (IAs), Research Analysts (RAs), and Algorithmic Trading service providers.

These entities must enroll with the agency by August 3, 2026, to share certified performance data. From May 3, 2028, only PaRRVA verified metrics can be used in client communications, and the use of data from the pre-PaRRVA period will be banned. It is to be noted that the agency will compute 50 risk and return parameters using transaction-level data from exchanges and clearing corporations.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the keynote address at the 38th foundation day of the SEBI in Mumbai. She highlighted that SEBI should expand investor awareness campaigns across digital platforms and regional languages to ensure wider protection.

She also launched “Mission Jagrook”, a nationwide investor awareness initiative aimed at safeguarding retail investors against misinformation, fraud, and manipulative financial content.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has issued operational guidelines for the “Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0” (FoF 2.0) to streamline capital flow into the national startup ecosystem. The scheme operates with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore.

Under the scheme, capital will be allocated through commitments to Category I and II Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) registered with the SEBI. These AIFs are required to invest in startups recognized by the DPIIT. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will serve as the initial Implementation Agency to oversee the selection and monitoring of the participating AIFs.

The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) has signed a comprehensive MoU with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to bolster information exchange and mutual coordination. The agreement facilitates the sharing of intelligence from their respective databases to enhance regulatory oversight.

Additionally, the MoU establishes standardized procedures for reporting by regulated and reporting entities to the FIU-IND, in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PML) Rules.

SEBI has launched three new Information Technology (IT) platforms: “Single Universal Platform for Communications” (SUPCOMS) 2.1, the “e-adjudication portal”, and “Cyber-Sec Audit Compliance” (C-SAC).

The SUPCOMS 2.1 platform serves as a centralized digital interface that replaces traditional email-based communication for all interactions with external entities. The “e-Adjudication Portal” provides a transparent and paperless platform for quasi-judicial proceedings to increase efficiency and speed. It is to be noted that C-SAC is an AI based platform that enables automated analysis of cyber audit reports to identify compliance gaps and provide risk insights.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed an MoU with the SEBI to enhance cooperation in addressing the misuse of telecom resources in securities market frauds and investment related scams.

The SEBI has introduced a two-pronged, one-time relief measure for companies to ease IPO validity timelines and Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) compliance requirements.

The measure extends the validity of “SEBI Observation Letters” (IPO approvals) that expire between April and September 2026 until September 2026. SEBI also granted a one-time relaxation for listed companies to meet the 25% MPS threshold if their deadlines fall within the same period of April to September 2026.

Bajaj Alternate Investment Management (Bajaj Alts), the alternative investment arm of Bajaj Finserv, has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to launch Portfolio Management Services (PMS).

This licence allows the firm to expand its operations beyond its existing Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) business into the actively managed listed equities space.