Information Cell In The Offing

The Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE) is setting up an information cell with a comprehensive corporate data base to educate the investing public.

The cell will soon also act as a centre for receiving complaints against companies listed at the bourse and DSE member brokers, according to DSE executive-director and chief executive officer S S Sodhi.

The cell, located at Bhikaji Cama Place, has already become functional to some extent. It is now providing a live display of DSE trading rates, economic newspapers and journals, books on the capital market, information about companies including balance sheets and issue prospectuses.

With the setting up of the corporate data base, people will be able to get copies of information on payment of a nominal fee.

 

"The decision to set up the investor information cell was driven by the long-felt need for such a centre to create awareness among the investing people," Sodhi said. Investor awareness and protection are issues that stock exchanges and the Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) are looking at more closely than ever. Investor awareness is considered to be extremely low at present.

Market analysts have also mooted the idea of having an ombudsman for capital markets, especially in view of the fact that the arbitration mechanism of stock exchanges is painfully slow. Besides, arbitration fees are often a deterrent. "If there was ever a place that needed an ombudsman, it is the stock exchange," an analyst commented.