Ministry of Corporate Affairs organises Investors Awareness Programmes (IAPs) in partnership with the three Professional Institutes, namely Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICoAI), with the objectives of creating awareness amongst the investor about fraudulent schemes and facilitating informed investment decisions. IAPs, in the form of audio visual programmes, are also being organised in the rural areas through Common Service Centres set up under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Financial allocation for each programme varies between ₹ 25,000 to 35,000. At towns and district headquarters levels the programmes are organised through Resource persons (RPs) appointed by the Professional Institutes at a unit outlay @ ₹ 5000 each. For North-Eastern states, the financial allocation for each programme is ₹ 30,000/- per programme conducted by Professional Institutes and ₹ 7000/- per programme conducted through RPs. The expenditure on each programme depends on the number of participants in the programme.

State/UT wise details of the programmes conducted during the current year and last three years along with the funds sanctioned / allocated / utilised under the programme during the said period, State/UT-wise are at Annexure-I.

• Investor Awareness Programmes are conducted to prevent investment in companies floating fraudulent schemes. A list of companies against whom action has been initiated during the years for indulging in Ponzi schemes/ multi-level marketing is enclosed at Annexure II.

This was stated by Shri P.P. Chaudhary, Minister of State for Law & Justice / Corporate Affairs in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Investor awareness programmes warn against fraudulent schemes and promote informed investment through professional institute partnerships. The Ministry organises Investor Awareness Programmes with three professional institutes to prevent investment in fraudulent schemes, using audio-visual outreach and rural Common Service Centres. Funding is allocated per programme with set unit outlays for Resource Persons and distinct rates for North Eastern states; expenditure depends on participant numbers. State/UT-wise annexures record programmes and fund utilisation, and a separate annexure lists companies against whom action has been initiated for Ponzi and multi-level marketing schemes.