Interview: Mr. Shivam, Officer Grade A (Assistant Manager) SEBI
Mr. Shivam, hails from a small town in Haryana and did his schooling in Hisar. He did his graduate degree from the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, specialising in Corporate Law. Presently, he is working with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as Officer Grade A (Assistant Manager). He has been working with SEBI… Read More »
Mr. Shivam, hails from a small town in Haryana and did his schooling in Hisar. He did his graduate degree from the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, specialising in Corporate Law.
Presently, he is working with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as Officer Grade A (Assistant Manager). He has been working with SEBI for almost a year and has experienced various intricacies in the Securities sector.
He always had a keen interest in Securities and Banking law. He has ventured into many diverse areas but ultimately found his niche in Securities Law. Other than law, he is an avid music lover who loves to play the piano in his free time.
Interview: Mr. Shivam, Officer Grade A (Assistant Manager) SEBI
We recently got an opportunity to interview Mr Shivam and here’s the transcript of the Interview:
Legal Bites: Sir, you don’t come from a legal background, then what motivated you to choose law as a career?
Shivam: A personal incident in my life motivated me to choose law. When I was in my class 10th, one electronic device at my home stopped working and the manufacturer denied to honour the warranty. At that time I studied the Consumer Protection Act and engaged an advocate to argue the case in front of the Consumer Forum. That’s when I was particularly drawn toward law. Upon researching further about law as a career option, I decided to pursue it as a profession.
Legal Bites: Sir, you have seen the corporate side personally, then what motivated you to join SEBI?
Shivam: I believe that the level of contentment one gets from the work in the public sector, knowing that the work one does means something to the public at large and is not just for commercial profit-making reasons, is overwhelming. The level of confidence investors repose in SEBI is in itself a good motivator to join SEBI.
Legal Bites: Sir, how is working in SEBI different from working at a court or a law firm?
Shivam: SEBI is a quasi-judicial body performing the function of a regulator in the country. Unlike arguing in court or practicing law at a law firm, SEBI Legal Officer is involved in framing of laws governing the securities market and helping in their enforcement. Further, the Legal Department also prepares opinions for the Prime Minister Office, the Parliament or other departments of SEBI.
Legal Bites: Sir, could you tell us briefly the process of getting into the SEBI?
Shivam: SEBI recruitment process is divided into three phases which include the pre, the mains and the interview. The pre-exam consists of 2 papers that test the candidate’s GK, Maths, Reasoning, English and Law. The mains exam also has 2 papers, one of which is a descriptive English paper and the other one is Law.
All those candidates who clear the minimum cutoff of pre-exam qualify for the mains. On the basis of the result of the mains paper, merit ranks are prepared and then candidates 3 times the available seats are called for an interview. All those who clear the interview are offered positions in various departments across SEBI.
Legal Bites: What are the skills required to get into a government job like this?
Shivam: The syllabus for government jobs exams like SEBI, RBI, NABARD etc. is not very vast like UPSC or Judicial Services. However, the competition is tough to crack because of the number of applicants. Therefore, discipline and consistency in preparation are musts.
Talking about the SEBI Legal exam, a candidate is required to have a basic understanding of the securities markets in general. Apart from that, one has to be thorough with the laws studied during then law school with a special focus on the laws relating to the securities market.
Legal Bites: Sir, what advice would you give to aspiring law students to get into a prestigious regulator such as SEBI?
Shivam: One thing which really helped me during my preparation for the exam was the right networking. I connected with people already in service of the Board over LinkedIn and was taking regular guidance from them. I was also part of a study group wherein we prepared tests for one another which really helped me in revising the syllabus.
Legal Bites: Thank you so much!
