NEW DELHI, The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Center and the Life Insurance Corporation of India on an application seeking a direction to LIC to frame and implement disability-sensitive guidelines for social insurance schemes.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta agreed to hear the petition which sought a direction to the Center to exercise policy oversight to ensure implementation of social insurance schemes for persons with disabilities in compliance with the safeguards under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
While Article 14 deals with equality before the law, Article 21 concerns the protection of life and personal liberty.
“Issuance of returnable notice within four weeks,” the council said in its April 13 order.
The petition sought a direction to LIC to frame and implement disability-sensitive guidelines for social insurance schemes, including the ‘Jeevan Aadhar’ policy.
The Life Insurance Company’s ‘Jeevan Aadhar’ policy can be offered to an individual with dependent medical conditions as defined under Section 80DDA of the Income Tax Act, 1961. It provides life insurance cover for the lifetime of the purchaser.
Section 80DDA of the Income Tax Act relates to deduction in respect of a deposit made for the maintenance of a disabled dependent.
The petition sought to direct claims under these social insurance plans involving beneficiaries with intellectual, mental, and congenital disabilities resulting in an inability to understand, communicate, or assert contractual and legal rights independently, on a case-by-case basis through rational, humane, and non-mechanical decision-making processes.
LIC will be directed to come up with a policy under which the annual premium for PWD under ‘Jeevan Aadhar’ will start automatically on the policyholder attaining the age of 60 years, or such age as may be specified, it said.
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