It started as a welfare scheme for the benefit of postal employees and was later extended to the employees of the Telegraph Department in 1888. Overview
With 1,54,939 branches across the country, India Post has presence in the most remote areas of the country, offering a wide range of products and essential services, providing life cover is part of this mix of services provided by the Department
. In 1894, PLI extended insurance cover to female employees of the erstwhile P & T Department at a time when no other insurance company covered female lives. Over the years, PLI has grown substantially from a few hundred policies in 1884 to more than 46 Lacs policies as on 31.03.2017. It now covers employees of Central and State Governments, Central and State Public Sector Undertakings, Universities, Government aided Educational Institutions, Nationalized Banks, Local bodies, autonomous bodies, joint ventures having a minimum of 10% Govt./PSU stake, credit cooperative societies etc. PLI also extends insurance cover to the officers and staff of the Defence services and Paramilitary forces. Apart from individual insurance policies, Directorate of Postal Life Insurance also manages a Group Insurance scheme for the Extra Departmental Employees i.e. Gramin Dak Sevaks(EDAGIS-1992 and GDSGIS-2010) of the Department of Posts. Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) started pursuant to the recommendation of the Official Committee for Reforms in the Insurance Sector (Malhotra Committee). The Committee had observed in 1993, that only 22% of the insurable population in this country had been insured and life insurance funds accounted for only 10% of the gross household savings. The Committee had observed:
“The Committee understands that Rural Branch Postmasters who enjoy a position of trust in the community, have the capacity to canvass life insurance business within their respective areas…….”
The Government accepted this recommendation and permitted Postal Life Insurance to extend its coverage to the rural areas to transact life insurance business with effect from 24.3.1995, mainly because of the vast network of Post Offices in the rural areas and low cost of operations. The prime objective of the scheme is to provide insurance cover to the rural public in general and to benefit weaker sections and women workers of rural areas in particular and also to spread insurance awareness among the rural population. The Department of Posts has started this task entrusted by the Central Government with great dedication and sincerity and within a short span of time has made a very positive impact on the rural populace. Rural Postal Life Insurance, is meant for anyone residing in rural areas.
