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IRDAI approves 8 principle-based regulations

26-03-2024

10:41 AM

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1 min read
IRDAI approves 8 principle-based regulations Blog Image

What’s in today’s article?

  • Why in news?
  • What is Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)?
  • What is Bima Sugam?
  • Other approvals made by IRDAI

Why in news?

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved eight principle-based regulations including the much-awaited Bima Sugam marketplace.

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)

  • IRDAI is a statutory body formed under an Act of Parliament, i.e., Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.
  • IRDAI's duties include:
    • Regulating the insurance business
    • Promoting the orderly growth of the insurance business
    • Protecting the interests of policyholders

Bima Sugam

  • About
    • It is an online platform where customers can choose a suitable scheme from multiple options given by various companies.
    • All insurance requirements, including those for life, health, and general insurance (including motor and travel) will be met by Bima Sugam.
    • This platform will help in the settlement of claims, whether it is health coverage or death claims, in a paperless manner on the basis of policy numbers.
  • Benefits of Bima Sugam
    • Single window for the policyholder to manage his/her insurance coverage.
      • It will provide end-to-end solutions for customers’ insurance needs i.e., purchase, service, and settlement in a seamless manner.
    • Empowerment of consumers
      • Currently, there are hundreds of insurance schemes in the life and non-life sectors.
      • Customers have no idea who is offering the best deal and the pros and cons of different schemes.
      • Bima Sugam will enable them to identify a suitable scheme for the customers in a single platform.
    • Benefits for insurance companies and intermediaries
      • It will facilitate insurance companies to access the validated and authentic data from various touch points on a real-time basis.
      • The platform will provide interface for the intermediaries and agents to sell policies and provide services to policyholders, among others, and reduce paperwork.
    • Universalise and democratise insurance
      • IRDAI says Bima Sugam is an electronic marketplace protocol.
      • This protocol will be connected with India Stack which is a set of APIs (application programming interface) that allows governments, businesses, startups, etc. to utilise the unique digital infrastructure to enable seamless delivery of services.

Approvals made by IRDAI

  • The IRDAI (Bima Sugam – Insurance Electronic Marketplace) Regulations, 2024
    • It aims to establish a digital public infrastructure named Bima Sugam.
    • It will empower and safeguard policyholders’ interests and achieve the vision of Insurance for all by 2047.
  • The IRDAI (Corporate Governance for Insurers) Regulations, 2024
    • It aims to establish a robust governance framework for insurers, defining the roles and responsibilities of the board and management.
    • This is for the first time that the governance aspects under the existing guidelines are notified in the form of regulations.
  • IRDAI (Insurance Products) Regulations, 2024
    • It merges six regulations into a unified framework.
    • It is aimed at enabling insurers to swiftly respond to evolving market demands, enhancing the ease of conducting business and boosting insurance penetration.
  • IRDAI (Registration and Operations of Foreign Reinsurers Branches & Lloyd’s India) Regulations, 2024
    • It consolidates two regulations and aims to foster the systematic development of the reinsurance sector in India by promoting orderly growth and harmonizing the existing legal and regulatory framework.
  • Other decisions
    • IRDAI cleared the regulatory changes under rural, social sector and motor Third-Party (TP) motor insurance.
    • For rural obligations, the unit of measurement will now be the gram panchayat.
    • The scope of the social sector has been extended to cover cardholders and beneficiaries under various schemes.
    • Under Motor TP, the unit of measurement will be the renewal of coverage for goods and passenger-carrying vehicles, as well as tractors.

Q1) What is Third-party (TP) motor insurance?

Third-party (TP) motor insurance, also known as act-only insurance, is a type of liability insurance that protects the owner of a vehicle from claims made by a third party. It's a statutory requirement for all vehicle owners under the Motor Vehicle Act.

Q2) What is corporate governance?

Corporate governance is a set of rules, practices, and processes that direct and control a company. It's the framework of policies and guidelines that inform a company's conduct, decision-making, and practice.