Under Section 2(h) of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, which of the following is NOT included within the statutory definition of "securities"?

Section 2(h) of the SCRA gives an inclusive, exhaustive list of instruments treated as "securities," covering shares, bonds, debentures, derivatives, units of collective investment schemes, security receipts, government securities, and rights or interests in securities. A private promissory note between two individuals for a personal loan is a simple debt instrument, not a marketable security meant for trading on a recognized stock exchange, and therefore falls outside this statutory definition. The purpose of Section 2(h) is to bring only transferable, market-tradable financial instruments under SEBI's regulatory ambit to ensure fair and orderly securities markets.