IRDA is the statutory, independent body that governs and supervises the insurance industry in India. It was established in 2000 by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. IRDA regulates the insurance industry, issues licenses, protects policyholders, and promotes growth of the insurance sector. It aims to ensure speedy settlement of claims, prevent fraud and malpractices, and bring transparency to the insurance market. The organization is headed by a Chairman and has 10 members. IRDA seeks to balance effective regulation with ensuring the development of the insurance industry in India.

1. IRDA - Insurance Regulatory Development and Authority
is the statutory, independent and apex body that governs
and supervise the Insurance Industry in India.
It was constituted by Parliament of India Act
called Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India (IRDA of India) after the formal declaration of
Insurance Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2014, by the
President of India Pranab Mukherjee on December
26,2014.

2. Establishment
 IRDA Act was passed upon the recommendations
of Malhotra Committee report (7 Jan,1994), headed
by Mr R.N. Malhotra (Retired Governor, RBI)
 Main Recommendations - Entrance of Private
Sector Companies and Foreign promoters & An
independent regulatory authority for Insurance Sector
in India
 In April,2000, it was set up as statutory body, with its
headquarters at New Delhi.
 The headquarters of the agency were shifted
to Hyderabad, Telangana in 2001.

3. Objectives of IRDA
 To promote the interest and rights of policy holders.
 To promote and ensure the growth of Insurance
Industry.
 To ensure speedy settlement of genuine claims and to
prevent frauds and malpractices
 To bring transparency and orderly conduct of in
financial markets dealing with insurance.

5. Organizational Setup of IRDA
 IRDA is a ten member body consists of :
One Chairman (For 5 Years & Maximum Age - 60
years )
 Five whole-time Members (For 5 Years and Maximum
Age- 62 years)
 Four part-time Members (Not more than 5 years)
 The chairman and members of IRDAI are appointed
by Government of India.
The present Chairman of IRDAI is Mr T.S Vijayan.

6. Functions And Duties of IRDA
 Section 14 of IRDA Act,1999 lays down the duties and
functions of IRDA:
It issues the registration certificates to insurance
companies and regulates them.
 It protects the interest of policy holders.
 It provides license to insurance intermediaries such as
agents and brokers after specifying the required
qualifications and set norms/code of conduct for
them.

7.  It promotes and regulates the professional
organizations related with insurance business to
promote efficiency in insurance sector.
 It regulates and supervise the premium rates and
terms of insurance covers.
 It specifies the conditions and manners, according to
which the insurance companies and other
intermediaries have to make their financial reports.
 It regulates the investment of policyholder's funds by
insurance companies.
 It also ensures the maintenance of solvency margin
(company's ability to pay out claims) by insurance
companies.

8. IRDA Related News
 FDI limit in Insurance Sector has been increased to 49%
from 26%,approved by The Union Cabinet. The proposal
was made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
 IRDAI has celebrated 19th April,2015 as Insurance
Awareness Day at Hyderabad. (came into existence in
2000)
 IRDAI has imposed a fine of Rs.10 lakh on TATA AIA
Life Insurance for violation of excess payment to
corporate agents. TATA AIA Life Insurance is joint venture
company formed by Tata Sons Ltd. and AIA Group Ltd.
CEO and MD of the company is Mr Naveen Tahilyani.

9.  IRDAI has changed the norms related to
cancellation and change of name of nominee. The
insurer will charge fee for any such modification. The
fee is up to Rs. 50 for policies obtained online and
up to Rs.100 for others.
 IRDAI has imposed a fine of Rs.20 lakh on APPOLO
MUNICH HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY for
selling its policies through non- authorised insurance
selling website makemytrip.com. The CEO of APPOLO
MUNICH HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY is
Antony Jacob and the Chairman and CEO of
makemytrip.com is Deep Kalra.

10. MISSION STATEMENT OF IRDA
 To protect the interest of and secure fair treatment to
policyholders
 To bring about speedy and orderly growth of the insurance
industry (including annuity and superannuation
payments), for the benefit of the common man, and to
provide long term funds for accelerating growth of the
economy;
 To set, promote, monitor and enforce high standards of
integrity, financial soundness, fair dealing and competence
of those it regulates
 To ensure speedy settlement of genuine claims, to prevent
insurance frauds and other malpractices and put in place
effective grievance redressal machinery

11.  To promote fairness, transparency and orderly conduct
in financial markets dealing with insurance and build
a reliable management information system to enforce
high standards of financial soundness amongst market
players
 To take action where such standards are inadequate or
ineffectively enforced
 To bring about optimum amount of self-regulation in
day-to-day working of the industry consistent with the
requirements of prudential regulation.

12. Offences by Companies
Where any offence under this Act has been committed
by a company, every person who, at the time the
offence was committed, was in charge of, and was
responsible to, the company for the conduct of the
business of the company as well as the company shall
be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be
liable to be proceeded against and punished
accordingly.

13. Penalty for failure to comply with section 32B
 If an insurer fails to comply with the provisions of
section 32B, he shall be liable to a penalty not
exceeding five lakh rupees for each such failure and
shall be punishable with imprisonment which may
extend to three years or with fine for each such failure.
Penalty for failure to comply with section 32C
 If an insurer fails to comply with the provisions of
section 32C, he shall be liable to a penalty not
exceeding twenty-five lakh rupees for each such failure
and in the case of subsequent and continuing failure,
the registration granted to such insurer under section
3 shall be cancelled by the Authority.

14. Registration of Insurance Company
Every insurer seeking to carry out the business of insurance in
India is required to obtain a certificate of registration from the
IRDA prior to commencement of business. The pre-conditions
for applying for such registration have been set out under the Act
of 1938, the IRD Act and the various regulations prescribed by
the Authority.
1. General Registration Requirements
The following are some of the important general registration
requirements that an applicant would need to fulfill:
(a) The applicant would need to be a company registered under
the provisions of the Indian Companies Act, 1956.
Consequently, any person intending to carryon insurance
business in India would need to set up a separate entity in
India.

15. (b) The aggregate equity participation of a foreign
company (either by itself or through its subsidiary
companies or its nominees) in the applicant
company cannot not exceed twenty six per cent of
the paid up capital of the insurance company.
However, the Insurance Act and the regulations there
under provide for the manner of computation of
such twenty-six per cent.
(c) The applicant can carry on anyone of life insurance
business, general insurance business or reinsurance
business. Separate companies would be needed if the
intent were to conduct more than one business.
(d) The name of the applicant needs to contain the
words “insurance company” or “assurance company”.

16. 2. Capital Structure Requirements
The applicant would need to meet with the following
capital structure requirements:
(a) A minimum paid up equity capital of rupees one
billion in case of an applicant which seeks to carry on
the business of life insurance or general insurance.
(b) A minimum paid-up equity capital of rupees two
billion, in case of a person carrying on exclusively the
business of reinsurance.

17. 3. Cancellation of certificate of registration
if the insurer fails to comply with the provisions
relating to deposits-
 if the insurer fails, at any time, to comply with the
provisions relating to the excess of the value of his
assets over the amount of his liabilities
 if the insurer is in liquidation or is adjudged an
insolvent
 if the business or a class of the business of the insurer
has been transferred to any person or has been
transferred to or amalgamated with the business of
any other insurer
 if the whole of the deposit made in respect of the
insurance business has been returned to the insurer

18. CONSUMER PROTECTION
There are different ways of looking at a consumer’s grievance –
ranging from a genuine grievance arising out of a deficiency of
service, to the manifestation of one's frustration over an avoidable
non-issue. While the grievances of the second kind can be managed
by counselling, handholding etc., there is a dire need to take a
serious look at the genuine grievances of customers.
Ideally, if both the parties to the contract are totally at agreement
with the reciprocal obligations and their fulfilment, there is hardly
any space for deficiency of service.
In the domain of financial services in general, and insurance in
particular; this is one aspect that is hard to achieve. This compels us
to analyse the various types of grievances, and take stock of the
situation in ensuring that there is discernible progress over a period
of time

20. PROVIDING THE RIGHT
PROTECTION