SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
Mumbai, the 16th of November, 2018
Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2018
No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/47. – In exercise of the powers conferred by section 11, sub-section (2) of section 11A and section 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992) read with section 31 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956), the Board hereby makes the following regulations to further amend the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, namely,–
1. These regulations may be called the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2018.
2. These regulations shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
3. In the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015,—
(i) in regulation 2, in sub-regulation (1), after clause (i) and before clause (j), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:
“(ia) “fugitive economic offender” shall mean an individual who is declared a fugitive economic offender under section 12 of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (17 of 2018).”
(ii) in regulation 31, after sub-regulation (3), the following shall be inserted, namely:
“(4) All entities falling under promoter and promoter group shall be disclosed separately in the shareholding pattern appearing on the website of all stock exchanges having nationwide trading terminals where the specified securities of the entity are listed, in accordance with the formats specified by the Board.”
(iii) the existing regulation 31A shall be substituted with the following, namely.—
“Reg 31A. Conditions for re-classification of any person as promoter / public
(1) For the purpose of this regulation:
(a) “promoter(s) seeking re-classification” shall mean all such promoters/persons belonging to the promoter group seeking re-classification of status as public.
(b) “persons related to the promoter(s) seeking re-classification” shall mean such persons with respect to that promoter(s) seeking re-classification who fall under sub-clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) of clause (pp) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 2 of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018.
(2) Re-classification of the status of any person as a promoter or public shall be permitted by the stock exchanges only upon receipt of an application from the listed entity along with all relevant documents subject to compliance with conditions specified in these regulations;
Provided that in case of entities listed on more than one stock exchange, the concerned stock exchanges shall jointly decide on the application.
(3) Re-classification of status of a promoter/ person belonging to promoter group to public shall be permitted by the stock exchanges only upon satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) an application for re-classification to the stock exchanges has been made by the listed entity consequent to the following procedures and not later than thirty days from the date of approval by shareholders in general meeting:
(i) the promoter(s) seeking re-classification shall make a request for re-classification to the listed entity which shall include rationale for seeking such re-classification and how the conditions specified in clause (b) below are satisfied;
(ii) the board of directors of the listed entity shall analyze the request and place the same before the shareholders in a general meeting for approval along with the views of the board of directors on the request:
Provided that there shall be a time gap of at least three months but not exceeding six months between the date of board meeting and the shareholder’s meeting considering the request of the promoter(s) seeking re-classification.
(iii) the request of the promoter(s) seeking re-classification shall be approved in the general meeting by an ordinary resolution in which the promoter(s) seeking re- classification and persons related to the promoter(s) seeking re-classification shall not vote to approve such re-classification request.
(b) the promoter(s) seeking re-classification and persons related to the promoter(s) seeking re-classification shall not:
(i) together, hold more than ten percent of the total voting rights in the listed entity;
(ii) exercise control over the affairs of the listed entity directly or indirectly;
(iii) have any special rights with respect to the listed entity through formal or informal arrangements including through any shareholder agreements;
(iv) be represented on the board of directors (including not having a nominee director) of the listed entity;
(v) act as a key managerial person in the listed entity;
(vi) be a ‘wilful defaulter’ as per the Reserve Bank of India Guidelines;
(vii) be a fugitive economic offender.
(c) the listed entity shall:
(i) be compliant with the requirement for minimum public shareholding as required under regulation 38 of these regulations;
(ii) not have trading in its shares suspended by the stock exchanges;
(iii) not have any outstanding dues to the Board, the stock exchanges or the depositories.
(4) The promoter(s) seeking re-classification, subsequent to re-classification as public, shall comply with the following conditions:
(a) he shall continue to comply with conditions mentioned at sub-clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of clause (b) of sub-regulation 3 as specified above at all times from the date of such re-classification failing which, he shall automatically be reclassified as promoter/ persons belonging to promoter group, as applicable;
(b) he shall comply with conditions mentioned at sub-clauses (iv) and (v) of clause (b) of sub-regulation 3 for a period of not less than three years from the date of such re-classification failing which, he shall automatically be reclassified as promoter/ persons belonging to promoter group, as applicable.
(5) If any public shareholder seeks to re-classify itself as promoter, it shall be required to make an open offer in accordance with the provisions of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011.
(6) In case of transmission, succession, inheritance and gift of shares held by a promoter/ person belonging to the promoter group:
(a) immediately on such event, the recipient of such shares shall be classified as a promoter/ person belonging to the promoter group, as applicable.
(b) subsequently, in case the recipient classified as a promoter/person belonging to the promoter group proposes to seek re-classification of status as public, it may do so subject to compliance with conditions specified in sub-regulation (3) above.
(c) in case of death of a promoter/person belonging to the promoter group, such person shall automatically cease to be included as a promoter/person belonging to the promoter group.
(7) A listed entity shall be considered as ‘listed entity with no promoters’ if due to re-classification or otherwise, the entity does not have any promoter;
(8) The following events shall deemed to be material events and shall be disclosed by the listed entity to the stock exchanges as soon as reasonably possible and not later than twenty four hours from the occurrence of the event:
(a) receipt of request for re-classification by the listed entity from the promoter(s) seeking re-classification;
(b) minutes of the board meeting considering such request which would include the views of the board on the request;
(c) submission of application for re-classification of status as promoter/public by the listed entity to the stock exchanges;
(d) decision of the stock exchanges on such application as communicated to the listed entity;
(9) The provisions of sub-regulations 3, 4 and clauses (a) and (b) of sub-regulation 8 of this regulation shall not apply, if re-classification of promoter(s)/ promoter group of the listed entity is as per the resolution plan approved under section 31 of the Insolvency Code, subject to the condition that such promoter(s) seeking re-classification shall not remain in control of the listed entity.”
(iv) the existing regulation 102, shall be re-numbered as sub-regulation (1) of regulation 102.
(v) in regulation 102, after sub-regulation (1), the following sub-regulations shall be inserted, namely;—
“(2) For seeking relaxation under sub-regulation (1), an application, giving details and the grounds on which such relaxation has been sought, shall be filed with the Board.
(3) The application referred to under sub-regulation (2) shall be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of rupees one lakh payable by way of direct credit in the bank account through NEFT/ RTGS/ IMPS or any other mode allowed by Reserve Bank of India or by way of a demand draft in favour of the Board payable in Mumbai.”
(vi) in Schedule V, in clause C, in sub-clause 10, after point (k), the following point shall be inserted, namely;—
“(l) disclosures in relation to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013:
a. number of complaints filed during the financial year
b. number of complaints disposed of during the financial year
c. number of complaints pending as on end of the financial year”
(vii) in schedule VII, in clause C, in sub-clause (2), point (b) shall be substituted with the following, namely;—
“(b) where the securities are held in single name without a nominee, an affidavit from all legal heir(s) made on appropriate non judicial stamp paper, to the effect of identification and claim of legal ownership to the securities shall be required;
Provided that in case the legal heir(s)/claimant(s) is named in the succession certificate or probate of will or will or letter of administration, an affidavit from such legal heir(s) / claimant(s) alone would be sufficient.
Provided further that:
(i) for value of securities, threshold limit of up to rupees two lakh only, per listed entity, as on date of application, a succession certificate or probate of will or will or letter of administration or court decree, as may be applicable in terms of Indian Succession Act, 1925 may be submitted :
Provided that in the absence of such documents, the following documents may be submitted:
1. no objection certificate from all legal heir(s) who do not object to such transmission or copy of family settlement deed duly notarized and executed by all the legal heirs of the deceased holder;
2. an indemnity bond made on appropriate non judicial stamp paper, indemnifying the Share Transfer Agent / listed entity;
(ii) for value of securities, more than rupees two lakh, per listed entity, as on date of application, a succession certificate or probate of will or will or letter of administration or court decree, as may be applicable in terms of Indian Succession Act, 1925 shall be submitted;
(iii) the listed entity however, at its discretion, may enhance value of securities, threshold limit, of rupees two lakh.”
AJAY TYAGI, Chairman
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./345/18]
Footnotes:
1. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 were published in the Gazette of India on 2ndSeptember 2015 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2015-16/013.
2. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, were subsequently amended on:
a) December 22, 2015 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2015 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2015-16/27.
b) May 25, 2016 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2016-17/001.
c) July 8, 2016 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide notification no. SEBI/ LAD NRO/GN/ 2016-17/008.
d) January 4, 2017 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide notification no. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/ 2016-17/025.
e) February 15, 2017 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2016-17/029.
f) March 6, 2017 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide Notification No. LAD-NRO/GN/2016- 17/037 read with March 29, 2017 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2016-17/38.
g) May 9, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/10.
h) May 30, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2018/13.
i) June 1, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/21.
j) June 8, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/24.
k) September 6, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/30.
