Guardians of the Market, SEBI's Journey Through Regulation and Reform

The School of Law and Legal Affairs (SOLS), Noida International University invites submissions for an edited book titled “Guardians of the Market: SEBI’s Journey Through Regulation and Reform”. The book is a comprehensive scholarly exploration of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), one of the most influential institutions in India’s economic and financial landscape.

Since its establishment, SEBI has played a pivotal role in transforming India’s securities market from a fragmented and opaque system into one of the world’s most dynamic, technology-driven, and investor-focused capital markets. This edited volume critically examines SEBI’s multifaceted role as regulator, policymaker, adjudicator, and market watchdog, exploring its contribution to investor confidence, corporate governance, market intermediaries, emerging financial technologies, sustainable finance, and an increasingly complex global financial ecosystem.

The book brings together contributions from academicians, researchers, legal professionals, policymakers, market practitioners, and students, aiming to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of SEBI’s institutional journey, achievements, challenges, and future trajectory.

The School of Law and Legal Affairs (SOLS) is the law school of Noida International University (NIU). The book is published by Juris Cognita International Publications and will be printed with an ISBN number.

Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Namita Vyas Joshi.
Editors: Dr. Ram Gulam, Dheeraj Kumar Jha, Biranchi Narayan Sarangi.

Theme: Regulating Trust in Capital Markets.

Sub-themes (including but not limited to):

1. SEBI as the Market Architect

• SEBI as a response to liberalization: regulator or reformer?
• Designing trust in volatile markets
• SEBI’s role in institutionalizing transparency
• From fragmented oversight to systemic coherence
• SEBI as a “nation-builder” in capital markets

2. The Triple Identity of SEBI

• Legislator: crafting norms beyond statutes
• Judge: balancing fairness with deterrence
• Policeman: surveillance and market discipline
• The paradox of concentrated regulatory power
• Autonomy vs. accountability in hybrid institutions

3. Regulating the Market’s Nervous System

• Stock exchanges as systemic hubs of risk
• Brokers and intermediaries as trust-brokers
• IPO regulation as a test of disclosure culture
• Secondary market surveillance and investor confidence
• Dematerialization as a structural revolution

4. Investor as the Core Stakeholder

• SEBI’s philosophy of investor primacy
• SCORES and grievance redressal as democratization tools
• Investor Protection Fund: safety net or symbolic gesture?
• Financial literacy as regulatory empowerment
• Insider trading cases as investor confidence benchmarks

5. Governance Beyond Compliance

• Clause 49: India’s governance revolution
• LODR Regulations: transparency institutionalized
• ESG norms: SEBI as sustainability regulator
• Governance failures and SEBI’s corrective interventions
• Global alignment of governance standards

6. The Watchdog’s Bite

• Investigative powers: deterrence or overreach?
• Penalties as instruments of market discipline
• Landmark cases shaping SEBI’s identity
• SAT as a counterbalance to SEBI’s authority
• Enforcement delays and credibility challenges

7. SEBI in the Global Arena

• IOSCO membership: India’s global regulatory footprint
• Cross-border cooperation and MoUs
• FIIs and global capital flows: balancing openness with control
• WTO commitments and global financial standards
• Harmonization with international best practices

8. Shadows and Criticisms

• Over-regulation vs. market freedom debate
• Enforcement delays undermining credibility
• Jurisdictional overlaps with RBI, IRDAI, and MCA
• Handling of corporate scandals: lessons learned
• Critiques of SEBI’s independence and autonomy

9. SEBI and Technology

• Regulating fintech platforms and digital brokers
• Algorithmic and high-frequency trading oversight
• Blockchain and digital securities regulation
• Cryptocurrency debates: SEBI’s cautious stance
• Cybersecurity and investor data protection

10. SEBI and Sustainable Finance

• ESG disclosures: from voluntary to mandatory
• Green bonds and climate-aligned finance
• CSR oversight and SEBI’s role in social responsibility
• Aligning Indian markets with global sustainability goals
• Challenges in enforcing non-financial disclosures

11. The Road Ahead

• SEBI’s vision for India’s $5 trillion economy goal
• Strengthening investor education and participation
• Institutional mediation and arbitration in securities disputes
• SEBI’s adaptability in global crises (pandemics, shocks)
• Future as a “global regulator in a domestic market”

The call is open to academicians, researchers, legal professionals, policymakers, market practitioners, and students. A maximum of 3 authors (co-authors) are allowed per submission.

• The manuscript should not exceed a 3,500-word limit.
• Authors are initially required to submit their abstract. Only after acceptance of the abstract will authors be required to submit full papers.
• Authors should not mention their personal details anywhere in the manuscript. Personal details and institutional affiliations must be mentioned in a separate cover letter.
• Main body text: Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment.
• Footnotes: Times New Roman, font size 10, 1.0 line spacing, conforming to JILI Citation Format.
• Headings: Times New Roman, font size 14, bold and underlined.
• Manuscripts are to be submitted in .doc format only. No other format will be accepted.
• Plagiarism of more than 20% shall not be acceptable. The manuscript should be free from grammatical, spelling, and other errors.

The book will be printed with an ISBN number and published by Juris Cognita International Publications.

Publication / registration fee:

• Students & Faculty, School of Law and Legal Affairs, Noida International University: NIL
• Students & Faculty, Noida International University: INR 500
• Others (students, academicians, research scholars, professionals): INR 850
• Additional co-authors: INR 500

• Last date to submit the abstract: 4 July 2026
• Notification on acceptance/rejection of abstract: on a rolling basis, up to 5 July 2026
• Last date to submit the manuscript: 25 July 2026
• Notification on acceptance/rejection of manuscript: 27 July 2026

• Email your original and unpublished abstract in .doc or .docx format.
• The subject line of the email should be: “Name of the Author(s)_Title of the Manuscript”.
• Enclose the cover letter along with the abstract.
• Submissions shall be made at: niucallforchapterssebi@gmail.com

• Abstract prepared in .doc/.docx, original and unpublished.
• Separate cover letter with author details and institutional affiliation.
• Manuscript (on abstract acceptance) within 3,500 words, formatted per guidelines, JILI footnotes.
• Plagiarism under 20%.
• Maximum of 3 authors.
• Email subject in the prescribed format, sent to niucallforchapterssebi@gmail.com by the relevant deadline.