About Circuit breaker in Trading:
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) implemented index-based market-wide circuit breakers in June 2001.
- Circuit breakers are triggered to prevent markets from crashing due to a panic-induced sale of stocks.
- This can occur for a variety of reasons, leading to stockholders in the market believing that their stocks are overvalued. As a result, they engage in a sell-off.
- Circuit breakers temporarily halt trading, thereby halting the sell-off.
- Circuit-breakers effectively limit how much a stock’s value can fall in a single day/trading session, resulting in a more stable market overall.
How do these work?
- This index-based market-wide circuit breaker system applies at three stages of the index movement, at 10, 15 and 20 per cent.
When triggered, these circuit breakers bring about a coordinated trading halt in all equity and equity derivative markets nationwide.
Q1) What is the equity derivative?
An equity derivative is a financial instrument whose value is based on the equity movements of the underlying asset.
Source: Most Adani stocks hit lower circuits again: What is a circuit breaker in the stock market?
Last updated on January, 2026
→ Check out the latest UPSC Syllabus 2026 here.
→ Join Vajiram & Ravi’s Interview Guidance Programme for expert help to crack your final UPSC stage.
→ UPSC Mains Result 2025 is now out.
→ UPSC Notification 2026 Postponed for CSE & IFS which was scheduled to be released on 14 January 2026.
→ UPSC Calendar 2026 has been released.
→ UPSC Prelims 2026 will be conducted on 24th May, 2026 & UPSC Mains 2026 will be conducted on 21st August 2026.
→ The UPSC Selection Process is of 3 stages-Prelims, Mains and Interview.
→ Prepare effectively with Vajiram & Ravi’s UPSC Prelims Test Series 2026 featuring full-length mock tests, detailed solutions, and performance analysis.
→ Enroll in Vajiram & Ravi’s UPSC Mains Test Series 2026 for structured answer writing practice, expert evaluation, and exam-oriented feedback.
→ Join Vajiram & Ravi’s Best UPSC Mentorship Program for personalized guidance, strategy planning, and one-to-one support from experienced mentors.
→ UPSC Result 2024 is released with latest UPSC Marksheet 2024. Check Now!
→ UPSC Toppers List 2024 is released now. Shakti Dubey is UPSC AIR 1 2024 Topper.
→ Also check Best UPSC Coaching in India


