Section 4B - Procedure for corporatisation and demutualisation - SECURITIES CONTRACTS (REGULATION) ACT, 1956

1 [Procedure for corporatisation and demutualisation. 4B. (1) All recognised stock exchanges referred to in section 4A shall, within such time as may be specified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India, submit a scheme for corporatisation and demutualisation for its approval : Provided that the Securities and Exchange Board of India, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify name of the recognised stock exchange, which had already been corporatised and demutualised, and such stock exchange shall not be required to submit the scheme under this section. (2) On receipt of the scheme referred to in sub-section (1), the Securities and Exchange Board of India may, after making such enquiry as may be necessary in this behalf and obtaining such further information, if any, as it may require and if it is satisfied that it would be in the interest of the trade and also in the public interest, approve the scheme with or without modification. (3) No scheme under sub-section (2) shall be approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India if the issue of shares for a lawful consideration or provision of trading rights in lieu of membership card of the members of a recognised stock exchange or payment of dividends to members have been proposed out of any reserves or assets of that stock exchange. (4) Where the scheme is approved under sub-section (2), the scheme so approved shall be published immediately by- (a) the Securities and Exchange Board of India in the Official Gazette; (b) the recognised stock exchange in such two daily newspapers circulating in India, as may be specified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and upon such publication, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force or any agreement, award, judgment, decree or other instrument for the time being in force, the scheme shall have effect and be binding on all persons and authorities including all members, creditors, depositors and employees of the recognised stock exchange and on all persons having any contract, right, power, obligation or liability with, against, over, to, or in connection with, the recognised stock exchange or its members. (5) Where the Securities and Exchange Board of India is satisfied that it would not be in the interest of the trade and also in the public interest to approve the scheme under sub-section (2), it may, by an order, reject the scheme and such order of rejection shall be published by it in the Official Gazette: Provided that the Securities and Exchange Board of India shall give a reasonable opportunity of being heard to all the persons concerned and the recognised stock exchange concerned before passing an order rejecting the scheme. (6) The Securities and Exchange Board of India may, while approving the scheme under sub-section (2), by an order in writing, restrict- (a) the voting rights of the shareholders who are also stock brokers of the reognised stock exchange; (b) the right of shareholders or a stock broker of the recognised stock exchange to appoint the representatives on the governing board of the stock exchange; (c) the maximum number of representatives of the stock brokers of the recognised stock exchange to be appointed on the governing board of the recognised stock exchange, which shall not exceed one-fourth of the total strength of the governing board. (7) The order made under sub-section (6) shall be published in the Official Gazette and on the publication thereof, the order shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), or any other law for the time being in force, have full effect. (8) Every recognised stock exchange, in respect of which the scheme for corporatisation or demutualisation has been approved under sub-section (2), shall, either by fresh issue of equity shares to the public or in any other manner as may be specified by the regulations made by the Securities and Exchange Board of India 2 , ensure that at least fifty-one per cent of its equity share capital is held, within twelve months from the date of publication of the order under sub-section (7), by the public other than shareholders having trading rights : Provided that the Securities and Exchange Board of India may, on sufficient cause being shown to it and in the public interest, extend the said period by another twelve months.] ********* 1 Inserted by the Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2004, Sec 3, w.e.f. 12-10-2004. 2 See Securities Contracts (Regulation) (Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations) Regulations, 2012, w.e.f. 20-06-2012 notified vide Gazette Notification No. LAD-NRO/GN/2012-13/07/13546, Extra., Pt. III, Section 4, dtd 20-06-2012.