Business
Govt-owned insurers goes for organisational rejig, calls for consultants

Is the central government moving towards merging its four general insurance companies into one?
The question pops up as the four general insurers have decided to restructure the organisation towards profitable growth and have called for Request for Proposal (RFP) from consultancy firms.
The assignment is called “Organisational Efficiencies and Performance Management in Public Sector General Insurance Companies.”
The four insurers are: The Oriental Insurance Company Limited, National Insurance Company Limited, The New India Assurance Company Limited and United India Insurance Company Limited.
Of the four, The New India Assurance is listed in the stock exchanges.
As per the tender, the companies are calling for one consultant for the assignment which is logical as the process, human resource policies and procedures are uniform in the four companies, a senior industry official told IANS.
Though the central government did not proceed further on its earlier announcement to merge the three unlisted non-life insurers- The Oriental Insurance, National Insurance and United India Insurance- or to privatise one of the three.
Given this, the current move seems to be the logical step towards that, say senior industry officials.
Further, the employees in the four companies also demand the same.
According to a senior industry official, the privatisation move is still on the cards and merger is not in consideration of the government.
Be that as it may, as per the RFP, the four companies are undergoing a transformative journey for the last two years with successfully running on the path to profitable growth and efficiencies, optimisation.
“This, being the third year, is earmarked for Organisational Efficiencies.”
Accordingly, there is a proposal for restructuring the organisation to bring in profitable growth and employee development through Performance Management and Capability
Management, in alignment with the key performance indicators (KPI) devised the public sector general insurance companies.
The four companies have found a need for a consultant who could quickly absorb itself into this journey of ongoing reforms and permeate them into each and every branch and staff by designing, handholding and successfully implementing the process of such transition through organisational restructuring, performance management and its real-time measurement, allocation of specific roles and responsibilities as well as performance indicators for sales, non-sales and support staff, capacity and capability building and carefully crafted change management approach.
As on 31.03.2022, the four insurers together have procured a total premium of Rs.75,116 crore with a market share of around 34 per cent.
The total employees’ strength is around 44,743 spread over 6,759 offices.
The expected duration of the proposed assignment for the selected consultants is 10 months, with a provision for extension, if required on existing terms.
As per the RFP, the scope of work involves organisational restructuring that is irreversible providing for digitally enabled workflows to convert operating offices into customer experience and business development centres while centralising underwriting/claims/accounts and others into the Regional Hubs;
– activate all three key channels for retail business growth namely, Agency, Bancassurance and Alternative channels through suitable sales management, incentives and rewards processes;
– create/shift large corporate businesses (both direct and broker-driven) at select6-8 locations, directly reporting to the Head Office.
– provide capacity planning framework through manpower redistribution for both Business Development (BD) and Non-BD roles, with a clear focus on retail business through pre-underwritten products and simplified processes;
– provide a comprehensive reskilling/up – skilling and capability building framework for BD, Non-BD, large corporate and vertical teams to cope with the above restructuring in a confident and motivated manner;
– handhold the insurers in implementing the new organisation structure across functions and geographies by providing carefully designed and sensitively implemented change management approach and communication framework;
– designing objective and quantifiable KPIs for each unique role along with their measurable outcomes and its integration with the performance appraisal system for each PSGIC to achieve y-o-y milestones;
– based on the above KPIs, creating performance dashboards for each sales and non-sales staff at the Operating Offices, Regional Offices and Head Office as well as across functions linked with the core system.
While the majority of the work is centered around a common approach for all the four insurers, the implementation shall happen at individual company level.
“Broadly, 80 per cent of the proposed assignment shall be allocated towards creating unified/common strategies/methodology and frameworks while 20 per cent of the proposed assignment will be allocated towards customising and rolling them out at individual company level,” the RFP said.
Interested consultancy firms should submit their proposals to the Chief Executive, General Insurers’ (Public Sector) Association of India (GIPSA), the coordinating body for the project.
National
J&K Assembly adjourned for three hours as BJP, NC legislators protest

Jammu, April 9: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed pandemonium on Wednesday following which Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House for three hours.
Agitated over the rejection of an adjournment motion notice on unemployment moved by the BJP, party MLAs stormed into the well of the House.
On the other hand, the National Conference (NC) MLAs continued their protest on the Waqf Amendment Act, demanding a discussion.
The Speaker has already firmly ruled out allowing a discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act, holding that the matter is sub judice.
Chaos started as soon as the proceedings of the House commenced for the day, with NC MLAs standing up to insist the Speaker allow discussion on the Waqf law.
Simultaneously, the Speaker disallowed the BJP’s notice for an adjournment motion on unemployment, saying: “I have rejected the adjournment motion as it is not a matter of urgent nature”.
The Speaker’s announcement triggered protests from the BJP legislators, who accused the NC lawmakers of indulging in theatrics. “Yeh Dramabazi Bandh Karo (stop these theatrics)”, the BJP legislators shouted.
Amid protests, NC MLA Nazir Gurezi urged the Speaker to allow discussion on the Waqf law so that they could speak up against the injustice faced by Muslims.
“They want to divide Hindus and Muslims. They should tell people how many jobs they have provided to unemployed youth,” Nazir Gurezi shouted at the protesting BJP MLAs.
Amid protests, the BJP legislators stormed into the well of the House and staged a sit-in there.
The Speaker adjourned the House till 1 p.m.
The speaker has also disallowed a no-confidence motion against him, which the PC leader and MLA, Sajad Gani Lone had brought against him.
The J&K Assembly started its 40-day budget session on March 3 with a recess from March 26 to April 6.
National
Our lives will be better by following what PM Modi, gurus say: CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi, April 9: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the Navkar Mahamantra Day event, saying that if one follows what he and spiritual gurus say, then “our lives will be better”.
Addressing the World Navkar Mahamantra Day, CM Gupta said, “We all heard what PM Modi said, and after him, there is nothing left to speak as he beautifully wove sentiments of all people in one thread. If we follow what PM Modi and our Gurus say, assimilating it in our lives will be our ‘bhakti (devotion)’.”
On the occasion, she also complimented the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) team for the excellent organisation of the event at 6,000 places across the world parallely and lakhs of people participating in it.
BJP National General Secretary and former MP Anil Jain congratulated the JITO team for the wonderful organisation of the Navkar Mahamantra event.
According to Jain, the event must have increased the enthusiasm in the people across the world and inspired the communities.
Notably, PM Modi, while addressing the event at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, unveiled a set of nine powerful resolutions, ‘Nav Sankalps’, aimed at building a more sustainable, healthy, and prosperous future for the nation.
The nine pledges were saving water, planting ‘Ek ped Maa ke Naam’, dedicated to environmental conservation through afforestation, practicing cleanliness and hygiene as part of the ongoing Swachh Bharat Mission, adopting ‘Vocal for Local’ approach, ‘Desh Darshan’, natural farming, healthier lifestyles, embracing yoga and sports in their daily lives and helping the poor and supporting those in need.
The event, a global initiative, saw participation from people across more than 108 countries, aimed at promoting peace and universal harmony.
The occasion focused on the collective recitation of the revered Navkar Mahamantra, a central tenet of Jainism.
Highlighting the significance of the Navkar Mantra, PM Modi said: “It says believe in yourself. The enemy is not outside, it is inside us. Negative thinking, dishonesty, selfishness, these are the enemies and winning over them is the real victory…”
Navkar Mahamantra Divas precedes Mahavir Jayanti, which falls on April 10 this year.
The festival marks the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, who was born in 615 BC.
Crime
Pune woman death case: Aaditya Thackeray demands action against Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital

Mumbai, April 8: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday targeted the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led MahaYuti government over the death of a pregnant woman, Tanisha Bhise, in Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital at Pune for alleged denial of treatment after demanding a deposit of Rs 10 lakh.
Aaditya has asked why the government is protecting trust and the hospital and not initiating action despite the inquiry committee citing non-compliance with the stipulated norms.
“Everybody is looking at whether Chief Minister Fadnavis will act against the trust and the agency running the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune that demanded 10 lakh rupees from the woman for delivery. Her inability to pay this ransom led to her demise,” said Aaditya in his post on ‘X’, a day after the consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Sushrut Ghaisas resigned.
He said that the internal committee denied the charge (of demanding a deposit of Rs 10 lakh by DR Ghaisas), while on Monday, a doctor admitted and resigned from the administration.
“How can Punekars trust such a hospital that speaks two different things to save itself and not the patient? If the hospital was demanding ransom money, what about the hospital’s tax and municipal dues? It’s in crores! Will the agencies go knocking on the doors of the trustees and agencies running this hospital?” he questioned.
Aaditya further asked, “Who is running this hospital and why is it so influential that the Chief Minister has to defend it?”
Dr Ghaisas, who, after a check-up of Tanisha Bhise on a case paper demanded a deposit of Rs 10 lakh, resigned on Monday, citing intense public anger, social media backlash, and threat calls as reasons.
Tanisha Bhise later died at another facility after giving birth to twin daughters.
Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, medical director of the hospital, told reporters: “In his resignation letter, Dr Ghaisas stated that he is under tremendous mental pressure due to public outrage, criticism and threats. He fears this will impact his ability to treat other patients and may also compromise the safety of his family. To avoid injustice to his work, he has decided to resign.”
He said that the hospital administration has forwarded the resignation to its trustees, and it is expected that it will be accepted, adding that Dr Ghaisas will complete his scheduled surgeries and work until Thursday.
Incidentally, the preliminary report prepared by the five-member inquiry committee chaired by Deputy Director Pune Circle Dr Radhakishan Pawar has blamed the hospital for the violation of provisions from the Hospitals Act by not giving primary treatment and later referring the case for further treatment.
The committee was established by the Public Health Department amid protests against the hospital.
According to the committee, the hospital has also violated the provisions of the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950, which clearly mentions that in an emergency, the Charitable Hospitals must attend to the patient immediately and provide essential medical facilities for all life-saving emergency treatment and procedure, and toll stabilisation.
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