Section 4B:
Procedure for corporatisation and demutualisation.
14B. Procedure for corporatisation and demutualisation.--(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 recognised 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 onefourth
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 share to the
public or in any other manner as may be specified by the regulations made by the Securities and
Exchange Board of India, 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.]
Notes:
1. Ins. by Act 1 of 2005, s. 3 (w.e.f. 12-10-2004).