Recent Current Affairs related to SEBI

The Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) to launch the Commodity Markets Research Centre (CMRC) to promote academic excellence, policy research, and investor awareness in the commodities sector.

The SEBI has extended the deadline for Regulated Entities (RE) to complete the Accessibility Audit of digital platforms and the remediation of audit findings under its Digital Accessibility framework to October 31, 2026.

SEBI has also launched the GARUDA framework to simplify and accelerate the filing process for Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) schemes.

The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) has launched a mutual fund (MF) transaction platform named 'NCDEX Nidhi'.

The platform aims to increase MF penetration in rural and semi-rural India by leveraging its network of 800 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and certified local MF distributors. It has initially onboarded 6 Asset Management Companies (AMCs).

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced the launch of 'Indian Natural Gas Futures', the first exchange-traded energy derivative of India.

The contract is linked to a domestic benchmark and will be traded under the symbol 'NATGASIND'. Following the approval from the SEBI, trading is scheduled to commence on 27 July 2026.

SEBI has granted approval to the Mumbai-based Carnelian Asset Management & Advisors Pvt Ltd to commence its Mutual Fund (MF) business.

This authorization allows the firm to provide a wide range of active and passive equity, debt, and hybrid mutual fund schemes to retail investors.

The SEBI has constituted an Expert Working Group (EWG) to review the regulatory framework for debenture trustees under the SEBI (Debenture Trustees) Regulations, 1993.

The group is chaired by Ananta Barua, a former Whole-Time Member of SEBI, and co-chaired by Rajnish Kumar, the former Chairman of the SBI.

Zerodha Fund House, India's first passive-only, direct-only Asset Management Company (AMC), has launched the country's first lifecycle (target-date) mutual funds. The new funds include the 'Zerodha Life Cycle Fund 2036' (10-year maturity) and the 'Zerodha Life Cycle Fund 2041' (15-year maturity).

These funds are classified as equity funds for taxation purposes, offering long-term capital gains (LTCG) benefits. It is to be noted that these funds have no lock-in period and require a minimum investment of ₹100.

SEBI has revised the trading framework for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by introducing dynamic price bands, effective from September 2026.

For equity and debt ETFs (excluding overnight and liquid ETFs), the fixed 20% price band based on Net Asset Value (NAV) is replaced by a dynamic price band starting at 10%, which can be expanded up to 20% after a cooling-off period. If prices hit the upper threshold, the band expands by 5% increments.

For commodity ETFs tracking gold and silver, the framework prescribes dynamic price bands with an initial limit of ±6%, which can be expanded in stages of 3% after a cooling-off period.

Nuvama Wealth Management Ltd has received final approval from the SEBI to commence mutual fund (MF) operations. The company will conduct these operations through its asset management arm, Nuvama Asset Management Ltd.

The RBI has issued the “Third Amendment Directions, 2026” to govern bank lending to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), while strengthening risk and exposure norms.

Banks are permitted to extend credit only to those REITs and InvITs that are registered with the SEBI and listed on recognized Stock Exchanges. Lending to REITs is restricted to listed trusts where at least 80% of assets consist of cash-generating properties that have been operational for more than 1 year.

Banks may lend to listed InvITs only if at least 80% of their assets are invested in completed and revenue-generating infrastructure projects that have demonstrated positive cash flows for a period exceeding 1 year.

The National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) has partnered with Galgotias University in Uttar Pradesh to enhance professional learning in sectors like securities markets, financial services, derivatives, fintech, and risk management.

The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) has signed an MoU with the Steel Users Federation of India (SUFI) to develop the steel and commodity derivatives ecosystem.

It is to be noted that the crude steel production of India increased by nearly 11% year-on-year to 168.4 million tonnes (MT) in the FY26 and is projected to reach 300 MT by 2030.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has notified the ‘Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Amendment Rules, 2026’.

Under this, companies are permitted to channel up to 10% of their annual mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure into Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instruments listed on Social Stock Exchanges (SSEs). Companies must direct the remaining 90% of their CSR spending toward traditional community implementation routes.

The NPO issuing the ZCZPs is responsible for project execution and evaluation, and must complete the funded public welfare project within 3 succeeding financial years from the date of issue.

The SEBI has approved the appointment of 2 Executive Directors (EDs) for each of the 3 Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs): BSE Ltd (BSE), Central Depository Services Ltd (CDSL), and National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL).

The appointments are as follows: BSE: Saurabh Shukla (Critical Operations) and Gopalan S Raghavan (Regulatory & Compliance), CDSL: Amit Mahajan (Critical Operations) and Nayana Ovalekar (Regulatory & Compliance), NSDL: Subhash Kelkar (Critical Operations) and Ankit Sharma (Regulatory & Compliance).

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.