Securities and Exchange Board of India
Circular

CIR/OIAE/1/2014                                                                                                                                  December 18, 2014

To
All Companies whose securities are listed on SEBI recognized Stock Exchanges (Through the Stock Exchanges),  All Intermediaries registered with SEBI (Through the Stock Exchanges for Stock Brokers and Sub Brokers, Depositories for Depository Participants, AMFI for Mutual Funds and Asset Management Companies), All recognized Stock Exchanges, All Depositories, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Subject : Redressal of investor grievances through SEBI Complaints Redress System (SCORES) platform

1. SEBI launched a centralized web based complaints redress system ‘SCORES’ in June 2011. The purpose of SCORES is to provide a platform for aggrieved investors, whose grievances, pertaining to securities market, remain unresolved by the concerned listed company or registered intermediary after a direct approach. SCORES also provides a platform, overseen by SEBI through which the investors can approach the concerned listed company or SEBI registered intermediary in an endeavor towards speedy redressal of grievances of investors in the securities market. It would, however, be advisable that investors may initially take up their grievances for redressal with the concerned listed company or registered intermediary, who are required to have designated persons/officials for handling issues relating to compliance and redressal of investor grievances.

2. SEBI has issued various circulars/directions from time to time with respect to SCORES. In order to enable the users to have an access to all the applicable circulars/directions at one place, this Circular on SCORES consolidates the current provisions.

3. This Circular inter alia consolidates the following circulars/directions issued by SEBI in this regard till date and shall come into force from the date of its issue:
i. Circular no.CIR/OIAE/2/2011 dated June 3, 2011
ii. Circular no.CIR/OIAE/1/2012 dated August 13, 2012
iii. Circular no.CIR/OIAE/1/2013 dated April 17, 2013

4. The salient features of SCORES are:
i. Centralised database of investor complaints
ii. Online movement of complaints to the concerned listed company or SEBI registered intermediary
iii. Online upload of Action Taken Reports (ATRs) by the concerned listed company or SEBI registered intermediary
iv. Online viewing by investors of actions taken on the complaint and its current status

5. All newly listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries (excluding Stock Brokers, Sub-Brokers and Depository Participants) are hereby advised to send their details as per Form-A and Form-B annexed to this Circular, respectively to SEBI in hard copy and by email to scores@sebi.gov.in and obtain SCORES user id and password immediately within a period of one month from the date of listing. The email id to be furnished by the listed company / SEBI registered intermediary for receiving SCORES user id and password from SEBI has to be preferably a corporate email id and necessarily a permanent one. Failure by any listed company or SEBI registered intermediary to obtain the SCORES user ID and password would not only be deemed as non-redressal of investor grievances but also indicate wilful avoidance of the same. The existing listed companies which have failed to obtain authentication will be dealt with in accordance with para 15 below.

6. Stock Brokers, Sub-Brokers and Depository Participants are not required to obtain SCORES authentication since complaints against these intermediaries shall continue to be routed through the platforms of the concerned Stock Exchange/Depository.

7. The registered intermediaries shall submit the details in hard copy (Form-B) to the Department/Division of SEBI which has granted them registration to operate in the securities market. SCORES user id and password of an intermediary shall be created only after receiving approval from the concerned Department/Division of SEBI.

8. In case of complaints against listed companies, the same can be processed by companies in-house or through its Registrar to Issue and Share Transfer Agent (RTI/STA). In case the complaints are processed by the RTI/STA on behalf of the listed company, the company should indicate in the enclosed Form-A whether they require the facility to forward complaints to the RTI/STA, so that the ATRs can be uploaded by them. In such cases, the name of the RTI/STA, the name of the Compliance Officer of the listed company and email id of the listed company should be furnished, so that the user id and password can be provided accordingly. In case the complaints are processed by the RTI/STA on behalf of the listed company, any failure on the part of the RTI/STA to redress the complaints or failure to update ATR in SCORES, will be treated as failure of the listed company to furnish information to SEBI and non redressal of investor complaints by the listed company.

9. All listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries shall review their investors grievances redressal mechanism so as to further strengthen it and correct the existing shortcomings, if any. The listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries to whom complaints are forwarded through SCORES, shall take immediate efforts on receipt of a complaint, for its resolution, within thirty days. The listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries shall keep the complainant duly informed of the action taken thereon.

10. The listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries shall update the ATR along with supporting documents, if any, electronically in SCORES. ATR in physical form need not be sent to SEBI. The proof of dispatch of the reply of the listed company / SEBI registered intermediary to the concerned investor should also be uploaded in SCORES and preserved by the listed company / SEBI registered intermediary, for future reference.

11. Action taken by the listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries will not be considered as complete if the relevant details/ supporting documents are not uploaded in SCORES and consequently, the complaints will be treated as pending.

12. A complaint shall be treated as resolved/disposed/closed only when SEBI disposes/closes the complaint in SCORES. Hence, mere filing of ATR by a listed company or SEBI registered intermediary with respect to a complaint will not mean that the complaint is not pending against them.

13. Failure by listed companies and SEBI registered intermediaries to file ATR under SCORES within thirty days of date of receipt of the grievance shall not only be treated as failure to furnish information to SEBI but shall also be deemed to constitute non-redressal of investor grievance.

14. The Board of Directors of the listed company or the Board of Directors/ Proprietor/ Partner of the registered intermediary shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of this Circular.

15. The Circulars mentioned in para 3 of this Circular stand rescinded. Notwithstanding such rescission, anything done or any action taken or any failure to take action under those Circulars before the date of issuance of this Circular, shall be deemed to have been done or taken or commenced under the provisions of this Circular.

16. All companies whose securities are listed on recognized Stock Exchanges and intermediaries registered with SEBI are advised to comply with this Circular.

17. Stock Exchanges, Depositories and the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI) are accordingly advised to bring the provisions of this Circular to the notice of all Listed Companies, registered Stock-Brokers, Depository Participants and Asset Management Companies respectively and also to disseminate the same on their websites. Further, the Stock Exchanges, Depositories and AMFI should also arrange for adequate publicity of this Circular on an urgent basis.

18. This Circular is issued in exercise of powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and to regulate the securities market.

19. This Circular is available on SEBI website at www.sebi.gov.in.

Yours faithfully,

N Hariharan
Chief General Manager
Office of Investor Assistance and Education
Tel No. 022 26449880
Email id - hariharan@sebi.gov.in

Download Form-A and Form-B Click Here >>