Dr. Ram Prasath Manohar IAS

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Dr. Ram

Study Materials

General Studies - Economy

Capital Market

1. Capital Market

  • Capital Market: A market where long-term financial securities are traded.
  • Time period: Capital raised for more than 1 year (365 days+).
  • Participants: Individuals, banks, financial institutions, companies, mutual funds.
  • Instruments traded: Shares, bonds, debentures, government securities.

Types of Capital Market

1. Gilt-Edged Market (Government Securities Market)

  • Market for government securities (G-Secs).
  • Called gilt-edged because securities are risk-free and of high quality.
  • Major investors: Commercial banks, LIC, GIC, Provident Funds.
  • Regulator:
  • Key tool: Open Market Operations (OMO) by RBI.

2. Industrial Securities Market

Deals with securities issued by companies.

(A) Primary Market
  • Also called the New Issue Market.
  • Securities issued for the first time.
  • Companies raise fresh capital.

Common instruments

  • Equity shares
  • Preference shares
  • Debentures
  • Corporate bonds
(B) Secondary Market
  • Market for trading already issued securities.
  • Securities are traded between investors.
  • Companies do not receive funds directly.

Example: Stock Exchanges (NSE, BSE)

Development Financial Institutions (DFIs)

Major All-India Financial Institutions (AIFIs)

  • IFCI – 1948
  • ICICI – 1955
  • IDBI – 1964
  • SIDBI – 1990
  • IIBI – 1997

Current AIFIs regulated by RBI

  • NABARD
  • SIDBI
  • Exim Bank
  • NHB

Financial Intermediaries in the Capital Market

1. Banking Sector

  • Backbone of the financial system.
  • Bank Nationalisation: 1969 and 1980.
  • Private bank entry: 1993-94 reforms.

Categories

  • Public Sector Banks
  • Private Sector Banks
  • Regional Rural Banks
  • Foreign Banks

2. Insurance Sector

  • Liberalised in 1999 reforms.
  • Regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
  • Private and foreign companies allowed.

Regulatory Framework of the Capital Market

India has multiple financial regulators.

1. Product-wise Regulators

Regulator

Regulates

RBI

Credit, banking system

SEBI

Securities market

IRDAI

Insurance

PFRDA

Pension sector

Important:

  • Forward Markets Commission (FMC) merged with SEBI in 2015.

2. Quasi-Regulatory Institutions

These perform regulatory roles in specific sectors.

  • NABARD: Supervises rural banks & cooperative banks
  • SIDBI: Small industries financing
  • NHB: Housing finance companies

3. Central Government Role

  • The Ministry of Finance plays a major policy role.
  • Representatives present on the RBI, SEBI, and IRDAI boards.

4. State Government Role

  • The Registrar of Cooperative Societies regulates cooperative banks.

Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)

  • Established: 2010
  • Chairperson: Union Finance Minister
  • Nature: Non-statutory body
  • Functions
    • Coordination among regulators
    • Financial stability monitoring
    • Resolve inter-regulatory disputes
    • Oversight of financial conglomerates

Capital Market Reforms in India

1. Abolition of Controller of Capital Issues

  • The Capital Issues Control Act, 1947 abolished.
  • Recommended by Narasimham Committee (1991).
  • Companies are allowed to raise capital with SEBI approval instead of government permission.

2. SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)

  • Established: 1988 (non-statutory)
  • Statutory status: 1992

Major Functions

  • Regulate the securities market
  • Protect investor interests
  • Regulate stock exchanges
  • Regulate intermediaries

Foreign Investment in the Capital Market

Foreign investors are allowed to invest in:

  • Equity shares
  • Corporate bonds
  • Government securities
  • Treasury Bills

Foreign instruments

  • ADR – American Depository Receipts
  • GDR – Global Depository Receipts
  • FCCB – Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds
  • ECB – External Commercial Borrowings

Credit Rating Agencies in India

Important agencies:

  • CRISIL (1988)
  • ICRA (1991)
  • CARE (1993)

Function: Assess the creditworthiness of companies and securities.

Secondary Market Reforms

1. National Stock Exchange (NSE)

  • Established 1992
  • Operations began 1994
  • Fully electronic trading system

2. OTCEI (Over The Counter Exchange of India)

  • Established 1992
  • Promoted by UTI, ICICI, IDBI, IFCI, LIC

Purpose:

  • Provide capital access to small companies

Depository System (1996)

  • Introduced dematerialisation (Demat).
  • Eliminated physical share certificates.

Major Depositories

  • NSDL – National Securities Depository Limited
  • CDSL – Central Depository Services Limited

NSCCL (National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd.)

  • Established in 1996.
  • Handles clearing, settlement, and risk management for NSE.

Mutual Funds

  • Mobilise public savings.
  • Invest in equities, bonds, and other securities.
  • Regulated by SEBI.

FSLRC Recommendations (2013)

Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
Chairman: Justice B. N. Srikrishna

Key Recommendations

  • Unified Financial Agency (UFA) – integrated regulator
  • Financial Redressal Agency (FRA) – consumer complaints
  • Financial Sector Appellate Tribunal (FSAT) – appeals
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