Govt calls for applications for new SEBI Chairman

Effectively seeking to end the tenure of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Ajay Tyagi, the Finance Ministry has in a quiet move called for applications to fill up the post.

An order dated January 24 has been issued by the Economic Affairs Division of the Finance Ministry titled, "Filling up the Post of Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India".

The order invites applications for filling up the post of SEBI Chairman. The Chairman will receive a consolidated pay of Rs 4.5 lakh per annum as recommended by the Seventh Pay Commission, the recommendations of which were accepted by the government in 2016.

The Chairman shall hold office for not more than 5 years and shall not hold office beyond 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Applications are to reach by February 10 with annual confidential reports of five years, integrity certificates, vigilance certificates and no penalty certificates.

It may be pointed out that February 10, 2017 is the date when Tyagi was appointed SEBI Chairman by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for a five year term. February 10 is also the date when new applications are being invited, exactly three years into Tyagi's term.

At that time, Tyagi was Additional Secretary, Finance Ministry. He is an IAS officer of the 1984 batch of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.

However, soon after his appointment, the government had curtailed his tenure by two years, barely a week after his name was cleared to succeed the incumbent UK Sinha with a five-year term.

Tyagi's term was fixed for an initial period of three years.