IRDAI carries out insurance awareness campaigns with its tagline ‘Promoting Insurance, Protecting Insured’. To stay as closer as possible to the tagline, the Communications Wing of IRDAI performs the primary function of design and execution of the insurance awareness campaigns of IRDAI in different formats. These are aimed at creating insurance awareness amongst policyholders, educating them about the basic concepts of insurance and also about their rights and duties. The policyholders are also apprised of the various mechanisms available for redressal of grievances pertaining to insurance policy servicing.

EDUCATION:

• Communication Wing (CW) maintains IRDAI’s Consumer Education Website (www.policyholder.gov.in) which is available in Hindi and English. The Department ensures updating of the website on a regular basis.
• Reviews the Consumer Education Website on a monthly basis by taking into account the feedback received from the various visitors of Website.
• Preparation of contents for Policyholder Handbooks and Comic Book Series in coordination with other Departments of the Authority.

RESEARCH GRANT

• IRDAI sponsors research under the IRDAI Research Grant Scheme in order to encourage research work relating to insurance and consumer protection. The Scheme sponsors research work in areas related to policyholders’ protection, consumer education and issues adjunct with the orderly growth of the insurance industry. The details of the IRDAI Research Grant Scheme along with the associated terms and conditions for the applicants are hosted at www.policyholder.gov.in/Insurance_Research_Grant_Scheme.aspx .

OTHERS:

• IRDAI from time to time has been conducting insurance awareness campaigns in audio and video formats on All India Radio (AIR), private FM channels and Television channels.
• IRDAI has created print material in the form of booklets on various topics of insurance, in a simple, policyholder friendly language in 14 languages of India, which are available on the portal www.policyholder.gov.in. The portal is intended to serve as a single point reference for the dissemination of information on consumer guidance and protection to the policyholders as well as the general public.
• IRDAI has also utilized Delhi Metro Trains for the purpose of insurance awareness campaigns.
• IRDAI has conducted an exclusive insurance awareness campaign in the state of Tripura in the past.

The Mission statement of IRDAI includes protection of the interests of the policyholders and also securing fair treatment to them through various regulations and supervision. The Communications Wing through its activities spreads awareness about various nuances of insurance in a simplified manner. An annual budget under the head Publicity and Consumer Education Strategy of IRDAI is earmarked and is utilized for executing various insurance awareness campaigns.

The Communications Wing designs the basic concepts of awareness campaigns of IRDAI and places them before a Publicity Committee constituted within IRDAI. The Publicity Committee meets on a regular basis to deliberate on the concepts/ideas proposed by the creative agencies and for final selection of concepts of awareness campaigns. The Communications Wing, then executes the campaigns through the empaneled/government agencies entrusted with the job.

The consumer awareness and insurance education strategy of IRDAI aims to achieve the following:

• To make people/public aware about the need/benefit of the financial instrument called Insurance.
• Equipping the policyholders/public with the necessary information to help them take informed decisions.
• Making the policyholders understand their rights/responsibilities and to make them aware of the various avenues available for redressal of their grievances.