Context
SEBI said it will strengthen surveillance using technology and AI to curb market manipulation and improve investor protection.
SEBI as Regulator
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) — capital market regulator.
• Established: 1988 (statutory under SEBI Act, 1992).
• Mandate: protect investors, regulate stock exchanges and intermediaries, ensure fair markets, curb insider trading and fraud.
• Powers: issue regulations, inspect entities, impose penalties, suspend trading and order investigations.
Key Points
• SEBI using AI-driven surveillance to detect manipulation and cyber fraud.
• Introduced SEBI Check tool (UPI-linked interface) to verify registered intermediaries before investing.
• AI awareness campaign (with SARVAM AI) reached ~3.85 lakh people via multilingual calls.
• Chairman warned against “finfluencers” promising unrealistic returns.
• SEBI reported strong enforcement record (around 80–90% success rate in tribunal cases).
• Focus areas ahead: curb derivatives speculation, revive agri-commodities market, deepen corporate bond market.
