New Delhi, March 24 The NHRC has sent a notice to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India regarding allegations that families of children with hearing and speech disabilities are facing difficulties in obtaining life insurance policies.
A copy of the proceedings has also been sent to the secretary in the finance ministry's department of financial services, it says.
A bench of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), presided over by its member Priyank Kanoongo, has taken cognizance under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, in this case.
The complainant, the president of Laghu Udyog Bharati, Ludhiana, Punjab, has alleged that "families of children with hearing and speech disabilities face difficulty in obtaining life insurance policies because insurance companies often deny coverage or impose restrictive conditions due to the child's disability," according to the proceedings dated March 16.
This situation allegedly creates "financial insecurity" and prevents specially-abled children from accessing equal financial protection, it says.
The complainant has requested the concerned regulatory authority to issue policy guidelines to insurance companies to ensure that disability alone is not treated as a ground for denial of life insurance, to encourage inclusive insurance products for specially-abled individuals, and to promote awareness among insurers regarding equal financial access for persons with disabilities.
The allegations made in the complaint appear to be violations of the human rights of the victim, the rights panel has said.
The registry is directed to issue a notice to the chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, in Hyderabad, Telangana, with directions to investigate the allegations made in the complaint and to submit an action taken report within 15 days for perusal of the Commission.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is headquartered in Hyderabad.