According to Section 6(2), every recognised stock exchange must preserve its books of account for a period not exceeding:  

Ans: B (Five years)     Reason:   This provision  establishes   five years as the absolute maximum preservation period . The actual prescribed period ( determined  by Central Government after exchange consultation) falls within the five-year ceiling. This  timeframe  serves multiple regulatory purposes: (1) enabling audit and inspection for regulatory compliance verification, (2) supporting contract enforcement and dispute resolution, (3)  facilitating  violation investigation and penalty assessment, and (4)  maintaining  comprehensive regulatory oversight of exchange operations. The five-year standard aligns with general financial records retention practices across regulated sectors.