Power to restrict payment of excessive remuneration

31B. (1) The Authority may if it is satisfied that any insurer, in the case of an insurer specified in sub‑clause (a) (ii) or sub‑clause (b) of C1ause (9) of Section 2 in respect of all insurance business transacted by him, and in the case of any other insurer in respect of the insurance business transacted by him in India, is paying any person remuneration, whether by way of commission or otherwise on a scale disproportionate, according to the normal standards prevailing in insurance business, to the resources of the insurer, call upon the insurer to comply within six months with such directions as it may think fit to issue in the matter, and if compliance with the directions so issued requires the alteration of any of the terms of the contract entered into by the insurer with such person, no compensation shall be payable to such person by the insurer by reason only of such alteration or of the resignation of such person if the altered terms are not acceptable to him and no payment by way of renewal commission or otherwise shall be made to such person by the insurer in respect of any premiums paid after the date of such resignation except at such rate as may be approved by the Central Government in this behalf.

(2) Every insurer shall, before the close of the month following every year, submit to the Authority a statement in the form specified by the regulations made by the Authority showing the remuneration paid whether by way of commission or otherwise, to any person in cases where such remuneration exceeds such sum as may be specified by the regulations made by the Authority.

(3) Where any person not being a chief agent, principal agent or special agent is in respect of remuneration exceeding the sum of five thousand rupees in any year, the Authority may, by notice in writing, require the insurer to submit certified copies of the agreement entered into between the insurer and any such person, and the insurer shall comply with any such requisition within the time specified in the notice.

(4) Every direction under this section shall be issued by an order made by the Authority:

Provided that no order under this section shall be made unless the person concerned has been given an opportunity of being heard

Limitation on employment of managing agents and on the remuneration payable to them

32. (1) No insurer shall after the commencement of this Act, appoint a managing agent for the conduct of business.

(2) Where any insurer engaged in the business of insurance before the commencement of this Act employs a managing agent for the conduct of his business, then notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913) and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the articles of the insurer, if a company, or in any agreement entered into by the insurer, such managing agent shall cease to hold office on the expiry of three years from the commencement of this Act and no compensation shall be payable to him by the insurer by reason only of the premature termination of his employment as managing agent.

(3) After the commencement of this Act, notwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Companies Act, 1913 (7 of 1913), and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any agreement entered into by an insurer or in the articles of association of an insurer being a company, no insurer shall pay to a managing agent and no managing agent shall accept from an insurer as remuneration for his services as managing agent more than two thousand rupees per month in all, including salary and commission and other remuneration payable to and receivable by him, for his services as managing agent.

Prohibition of common officers and requirement as to whole time officers

32A. (1) A managing director or other officer of an insurer specified in sub­-clause (b) of clause (9) of Section 2 and carrying on life insurance business shall not be a managing director or other officer of any other insurer carrying on life insurance business or of a banking company or of an investment company:

Provided that the Authority may permit such managing director or other officer to be a managing director or other officer of any other insurer carrying on life insurance business for the purpose of amalgamating the business of the two insurers or transferring the business of one insurer to the other.

(2) Where an insurer specified in sub‑clause (b) of Clause (9) of Section 2 has a life insurance fund of more than twenty‑five lakhs of rupees or insurance funds totaling more than fifty lakhs of rupees, the manager, managing director or either officer of the insurer shall be a whole time employee of the insurer:

Provided that the Authority may, for such period as it thinks fit, permit the employment of any specified person as a part‑time manager, managing director or other officer of such insurer.

(3) Nothing in this section, shall prevent—

(a) the manager, managing director or other officer of a insurer being the manager, managing director or other officer of a subsidiary company of the insurer with the previous approval of the Authority;

(b) the manager, managing director or other officer of an insurer, exclusively carrying on life insurance business being the manager, managing director or other officer of an insurer not carrying on life insurance business;

(c) any officer of a branch of one insurer carrying on general insurance business from being any officer of a branch in the same town of another insurer carrying on general insurance business;

(d) an officer in the employment of an insurer for giving professional advice;

Explanation: In this section the expression "officer" does not include a director.

Insurance business in rural or social sector

32B. Every insurer shall, after the commencement of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999, undertake such percentages of life insurance business and general insurance business in the rural or social sector, as may be specified, in the Official Gazette by the Authority, in this behalf.

Obligations of insurer in respect of rural or unorganized sector and backward classes

32C. Every insurer shall, after the commencement of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority act, 1999 discharge the obligations specified under section 32B to provide life insurance or general insurance policies to the persons residing in the rural sector, workers in the unorganized or informal sector or for economically vulnerable or backward classes of the society and other categories of persons as may be specified by regulations made by the Authority and such insurance policies shall include insurance for crops.

Investigation

Power of investigation and inspection by Authority

(33). (1) The Authority may at any time, by order in writing, direct any person (hereinafter in this section referred to as “Investigating Authority”) specified in the order to investigate the affairs of any insurer and to report to the Authority on any investigation made by such Investigating Authority:

Provided that the Investigating Authority may, wherever necessary, employ an auditor or actuary or both for the purpose of assisting him in any investigation under this section.

(2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 235 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), the Investigating Authority may, at any time, and shall, on being directed so to do by the Authority, cause an inspection to be made by one or more of his officers of any insurer and his books and accounts; and the Investigating Authority shall supply to the insurer a copy of his report on such inspection.

(3) It shall be the duty of eatery manager, managing director or other officer of the insurer to produce before the Investigating Authority directed to make the investigation under sub‑section (1) or inspection under sub‑section (2), all such books of account, registers and other documents in his custody or power and to furnish him with any statements and information relating to the affairs of the insurer as the said Investigating Authority may require of him within such time as the said Investigating Authority may specify.

(4) Any Investigating Authority, directed to make an investigation under sub‑section (1), or inspection under sub‑section (2) may examine on oath, any manager, managing director, or other officer of the insurer in relation to his bossiness and may administer oaths accordingly.

(5) The Investigating Authority shall, if he has been directed by the Authority to cause an inspection to be made, and may, in any other case, report to the Authority on any inspection made under this section.

(4) On receipt of any report under sub‑section (1) or under sub‑section (5), the Authority may, after giving such opportunity to the insurer to make a representation in connection with the report as in the opinion of the Authority, seems reasonable by order in writing,—

(a) require the insurer to take such action in respect of any matter arising out of the report as the Authority may think fit; or

(b) cancel the registration of the insurer; or

(c) direct any person to apply to the Court for the winding up of the insurer, if a company, whether the registration of the insurer has been cancelled under C1ause (b) or not.

(7) The Authority may, after giving reasonable notice to the insurer publish the report submitted by the Investigating Authority under sub-section (5) or such portion thereof as may appear to it to be necessary.

(8) The Authority may prescribe the minimum information to tee maintained by insurers in their books, the manner in which such information should be maintained, the checks and other verifications to be adopted by insurer, necessary to enable the Investigating Authority to discharge satisfactorily his functions under this section.

Explanation.—for the purposes of this section, the expression "insurer" shall include in the case of an insurer incorporated in India—

(a) all his subsidiaries formed for the purpose of carrying on the business of insurance exclusively outside India; and

(b) all his branches whether situated in India or outside India.

(9) No order made under this section other than an order made under Clause (b) of sub‑section (6) shall be capable of being called in question in any Court.

(10) All expenses of, and incidental to, any investigation made under this section shall be defrayed by the insurer, shall have priority over other debts due from the insurer and shall be recoverable as an arrear of land revenue.

Power to appoint staff

33A.The Authority may appoint such staff, and at such places as it or he may consider necessary, for the scrutiny of the returns, statements and information furnished by insurers under this Act and generally to ensure the efficient performance of the functions of the Authority under this Act.

Power of the Authority to issue directions

34. (1) where the Authority is satisfied that­

(a) in the public interest; or

(b) to prevent the affairs of any insurer being conducted in a marina detrimental to the interests of the policy‑holders or in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the insurer; or

(c) generally to secure the proper management of any insurer, it is necessary to issue directions to insurers generally or to any insurer In particular, he may, from time to time, issue such directions as he deems fit, and the insurers or the insurer, as the case may be, shall be bound to comply with such directions:

Provided that no such directions shall be issued to any insurer in particular unless such insurer has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard

(2) The Authority may, on representation made to him or on his own motion, modify or cancel any direction issued under sub‑section (1), and in so modifying or canceling any directions, may impose such conditions as he thinks fit, subject to which the modification or cancellation shall have effect.

Control over Management