The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was established in 1988 as a non-statutory body and was given statutory powers through the SEBI Act of 1992 to regulate and develop the securities market in India. SEBI's objectives are to protect investors, regulate stock exchanges and other market intermediaries, and prohibit fraudulent and unfair trade practices. It performs regulatory, developmental, and capital market functions through various departments and committees to achieve its goals.