9th TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF AIIPA - A MAGNIFICENT SUCCESS

ALL INDIA INSURANCE PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION 

07.06.2025

Circular: Special.

To all affiliated Units.

9th TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF AIIPA - A MAGNIFICENT SUCCESS.

Dear Comrades,

The Ninth Triennial General Conference of the All India Insurance Pensioners’ Association (AIIPA) took place, as scheduled, at the historic city of Mysore (Karnataka) on 2nd – 4th June, 2025 amidst tremendous zeal and enthusiasm. The Conference got off to an inspiring start on the morning of 2nd June with the unfurling of the flag of the Association by Com Satanjib Das, President, AIIPA in the midst of full throated slogans by the multitude of the pensioners belonging to the public sector insurance, both life and general insurance sector as well as the delegates and leaders of fraternal organisations. The inspiring revolutionary chorus songs sung by the women pensioner comrades of Mysore preceded the programme and lent it a unique dimension. As the powerful slogans rented the air and the strains of the chorus reverberated, it was difficult to believe that it was a congregation of post-sixty people. The vigour and the youthful energy they displayed demonstrated that they are still fired with the same struggling spirit as they were while in service.

The flag hoisting ceremony was followed by paying homage to the Martyrs’ column by the delegates and leaders of the fraternal organisations. The programme was led by Smt. Sabiha Boomi Gowda, Chairperson of the Reception Committee of the Conference.

Inaugural session of the Conference began at the spacious hall of Hotel Rio Meridian which was the venue of the Conference. Before the thousand plus strong assembly that jam packed the Hall, Smt. Sabiha Boomi Gowda, former Vice Chancellor of Karnataka State Akkamahadevi University for Women and Chairperson of the Reception Committee delivered her welcome address, which while giving an outline of the specialities of Mysore and its historical background called for ‘struggle against 100% FDI hike in insurance sector and privatisation of Public Sector General Insurance Companies'.

Dr. R Ramakumar, Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai inaugurated the Conference. In his hour-long brilliant inaugural speech he laid bare the miserable condition of the elders and senior citizens of our Country. He said that due to the aggressive pursual of the neo­liberal economic policies by the present ruling dispensation, the social Security network in the country today lies in shambles. Overwhelming majority of the work-force of the country today stand deprived of any social security let alone pension. He pointed out that even the IMF/World Bank plead for active, healthy and dignified aged people. But, the economic policy prescriptions they prescribe bring opposite result. In India, he said, these three essential things are absent for the elderly people. Here, 75% of elderly citizens suffer from illness, 65% have to skip medical care for lack of money, 68% suffer from food deficiency, 30% are depression affected. Fifteen to eighteen thousand elderly people commit suicide every year in this country due to lack of any social support system. Fifty two percent of the elderly women in the country are widows without any income or savings. How can they sustain without State support, he asked. He underlined that such miserable plight of the elderly population of our country is a testimony of utter violation of the Article 41 of the Indian Constitution that mandates the State to make effective provisions for public assistance in case of old age. In such a context, Prof. Ramakumar strongly pleaded for a non-contributory universal pension scheme that ensures price index linked pension of at least Rs.3,000/- per month to all post-sixty citizens, irrespective of APL or BPL, who are not covered by any worthwhile pension schemes. He asserted that not only such a scheme but some of the basic rights of the people like the right to food, to employment, to education, to housing etc. can be ensured if only 2% wealth tax and 33% inheritance tax are imposed on the top one percent of the population who are super rich. He questioned that if the advanced capitalist countries like USA, UK, Japan, South Korea etc. can have inheritance tax and wealth tax, why the ruling dispensation in India shies away from imposing such taxes? He pointed out that the neo-liberal economic policies had brought about an unprecedented inequality and today top one percent of the population have cornered 40.6% of the total wealth and the bottom 50% own only 3% of the total wealth though they are the real wealth creators. Such a situation has engendered a serious demand­crisis in the economy that stands in the way of accelerating the economic growth rate. He strongly called for a National Elderly Rights Act and a Universal index linked pension scheme as mentioned earlier. He pointed out that the exclusionary economic policies pursued by the ruling classes have led to the exclusionary trends and politics of divide in the socio-political arena and dangers these have posed not only to the people’s unity and the secular-democratic fabric of our Republic but also to the very ‘idea of India' created by our great freedom movement and articulated in the Country’s Republican Constitution. He expressed the confidence that all these challenges will be met unitedly by the working masses and democratic people and called upon the Conference to take note of the grave situation and chart out the path of advancement. The entire house accepted his enlightening deliberation with a big applause.

Com. Shreekant Mishra, General Secretary, All India Insurance Employees ‘Association also addressed the inaugural session and greeted the Conference. He congratulated the AIIPA for realising the long pending demand of a uniform rate of family pension at 30% of the last pay drawn for LIC pensioners and hoped that for PSGI pensioners also it would soon become a reality. Dwelling upon the dangers posed to the public sector insurance by neo-liberal economic policies pursued so aggressively by the present government, he called for a united struggle of the insurance employees and pensioners in league with other sections of the working masses to protect the public sector insurance in particular and the public sector in general. In this regard, he underscored the importance of making the nationwide industrial strike on 9th July called by Central Trade Unions and national federations including AIIEA a total success. He also dwelt on the emerging situation on the issue of wage revision in the PSGI companies vis-à-vis the intervention of AIIEA. He strongly deplored the politics of communal divide pursued by the present rulers and its authoritarian proclivities and emphasised the need of integrating the insurance employees’ TU movement to the wider struggle of the democratic masses in defence of the Country’s Republican Constitution and people’s unity. He wished the Conference all success and assured AIIPA all help and co-operation from AIIEA in its onward March.

Com. K. Venu Gopal, former General Secretary, AIIEA in his brief address while greeting the Conference laid before it precisely the challenges that confront the insurance pensioners in particular and the pensioner community in general. He pointed out that one of the biggest casualties of the neo-liberal economic policies is the social security and pension. Hence, the fates of the pensioners are inextricably bound with the wider movement of the working people for reversal of these pro­corporate and anti-people economic policies. In this context, he called upon the insurance pensioners to join in right earnest the ongoing campaign to make the nationwide industrial strike action on 9th July a total success. He wished the Conference all success and hoped that it would be a milestone in AIIPA’s onward journey of progress.

Com. J Gurumurthy, Vice President, AIIPA briefly addressed the inaugural session. He criticised the government for not issuing notification yet to provide increased family pension at the rate of 30% to PSGI pensioners, despite the fact that the government accepted the demand in principle. He called for strengthening the AIIPA in all respects to defend the interests of the insurance pensioners. He also emphasised the importance of making the 9th July industrial strike action a grand success.

Leaders of several fraternal organisations that included Coms. G. Krishnaswamy, President, All India Retired Insurance Employees’ Federation, B.S.Narasimha, Vice President, Federation of Retired LIC Class I Officers' Associations, Girish Khurana, National Convener, JFTU of PSGI Companies, Shivakumar from National Confederation of General Insurance Officers' Associations greeted the Conference. All of them and the inaugurator as well as Chairperson of the Reception Committee were felicitated in the inaugural session.

Com. M.Kunhikrishnan, General Secretary, AIIPA proposed vote of thanks while Com. S. Sridhara, Convener, Reception Committee also spoke some valedictory words.

The inaugural session came to a close with the brief presidential speech of Com. Satanjib Das.

The Delegates session of the Conference began in the afternoon of 2nd June and closed at 02.30 pm on 4th June. 409 out of 440 delegates attended the Conference. Of the attending delegates ten were women comrades. 128 delegates belonged to the general insurance sector while 281 were from the life sector.

The Delegates Session got off to an inspiring start with the chorus songs performed by a group of women and men pensioners and employees. A Presidium consisting of President and all Vice Presidents of AIIPA presided over the Delegates session. Com. Satanjib Das moved a condolence resolution paying homage to many illustrious personalities of our country and abroad who enriched humanity by their contributions. The house adopted the resolution by observing a minute’s silence.

Com. M Kunhikrishnan, General Secretary, AIIPA placed the forty one page Report of the Central Committee before the Conference while Com. P Manoj Kumar, Treasurer presented audited statement of accounts of the Association for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report discussed the problems and issues confronting both the LIC and PSGI pensioners vis-à-vis the interventions by AIIPA both at the level of the Central government and the managements of LIC and GIPSA in order to redress these. All these were, however, discussed in the context of a brief analysis of the important developments that took place in the international, national arena as well as in the public sector insurance industry. The report also made a proper scrutiny of the organisation and laid out the tasks ahead. The Report while expressing satisfaction at the realisation of the demand of family pension at an increased and uniform rate of 30% for LIC pensioners expressed serious concern at the non extension of this benefit to the PSGI pensioners though the Joint Secretary, Dept. of Financial Services informed the delegation of AIIPA on 27th March, 2025 when they met him at New Delhi, that the government had accepted the demand and would issue the notification in this regard soon. The report also discussed many other burning issues like pension updation, uniform DA neutralisation to pre-August, 1987 pensioners, substantial increase of ex-gratia to pre-1986 retirees, cash medical allowance for domiciliary treatment and preventive health-check up for pensioners, eligibility of full pension on completion of 20 years of service, improvements in mediclaim scheme, computation of pension on the basis of last pay drawn or last 10 months' average salary whichever is beneficial, OMOP for left out Ex-Servicemen/Engineers in LIC and TAC employees in general insurance sector, scrapping of GST in health and life insurance premium, wrongful deduction of TDS from PSGI pensioners etc. The Report observed that though these issues were represented time and again to the managements of LIC and GIPSA, things have not moved forward yet. The Report also noted with concern the repeated adjournments of the case in the Supreme Court on the issue of pension updation of which AIIPA is the lead petitioner. The Court has ordered to list the case in the 3rd week of August next. The Report underlined that the issue needs to be fought both legally and organisationally.

On organisation, the Report noted with some sense of satisfaction, the remarkable growth in membership since the last Conference held three years ago. The membership has grown at a rate of 39.03% altogether and congratulated all the Units and Comrades for this spectacular achievements. It, however, warned that there is no room for complacency as a vast number of insurance pensioners is still out of our fold. The Report also identified some areas of organisational weaknesses which needs to be overcome soon.

Sixty five delegates including two women comrades took part in the discussion on the Report for more than nine hours and enriched it with their live experience at the grass-root level. They also put forward several suggestions to improve upon the Report and also the functioning of the organisation. All of them, however, were unanimous on the basic formulations and directions of the Report.

The General Secretary summed up the discussion on the Report and accepted some of the suggestions made by the delegates. Following this, the Report was adopted unanimously by the house. The audited statement of accounts of the Association also likewise accepted unanimously by the Conference. Thereafter, Com. KS Murthy, Convener, Credential Committee placed the Report of the Committee.

In course of his summing up, the General Secretary put before the Conference a programme of actions to be carried out in the coming days. This was accepted unanimously by the Conference. The programmes are as follows:-

• 1)
  . Observe All India Demands Day on 4th July, 2025 on pending issues through gate meetings/ demonstrations and adoption of resolutions during lunch recess hours before Divisional Offices of LICI and Regional Offices of PSGI Companies. The resolutions are to be sent to the CEO & MD of LICI, Chairman, GIPSA and Secretary, DFS.
• 2)
  . To join in right earnest the campaign to make the nationwide Industrial Strike Action on 9th July called unitedly by Central TUs/ National Federations a total success.
• 3)
  . To intensify and broaden the campaign for Universal Social Security and Pension. Units that are yet to hold Conventions/Seminars on this issue must do so without delay. Other TUs/social organisations/eminent personalities are to be involved in such programmes.

The Conference adopted unanimously the following resolutions:

• a.
  Against the government’s move to weaken and privatise Public Sector and Public Sector Insurance.
• b.
  On updation of pension.
• c.
  Demanding Universal Security and Pension.
• d.
  On resolving pending issues.
• e.
  Demanding scrapping of NPS/UPS and restoration of OPS.
• f.
  In support of the nationwide general industrial strike on 9th July, 2025.
• g.
  On organisation.

As decided by the Conference, a letter was sent to the Secretary, DFS from the Conference itself demanding immediate notification of increase in family pension to PSGI pensioners at a uniform rate of 30%.

Coms. G Anand, Vice President, AIIEA and V. Ramesh, President, AIIEA addressed the Delegates session of the Conference. While Com. Anand briefed the Conference about the details of the developments in the PSGI companies, Com. V Ramesh explained the multiple challenges that lie ahead and the way to move forward.

The Conference unanimously elected a 79 member Central Committee of the AIIPA with the following Office Bearers for the ensuing term:

(The list of newly elected Central Committee members will be circulated separately.)

The Conference put on record its deep appreciation of the contributions made by the outgoing office bearers and CC members and expressed the hope that they would continue to guide the organisation. It also decided that Com. ML Setia, the outgoing Vice President, will continue to remain as signatory to AIIPA’s Civil Appeal in Supreme Court and would be invited to the CC meetings, whenever required, as a special invitee.

Leaders of AIIEA who attended the Conference as invitees – Coms. K Venu Gopal, V Ramesh, Shreekant Mishra, BS Ravi – were warmly felicitated in the delegates session.

ICPA, Mysore Division donated a sum of Rs.51,000/- to Insurance Worker. The cheque was handed over to Com. BS Ravi, Treasurer, AIIEA and Com. R Padmanabha, Manager, Insurance Worker.

The Conference came to a successful conclusion at 02.30 pm on 4th June. By all accounts it was a well organised, well attended and purposeful Conference. It was a Conference with a difference. It brought into display the grit, determination and the confidence of the organisation to meet the challenges ahead and move forward.

On 3rd June, after delegates session, a colourful cultural evening was organised that enthralled the delegates. The local folk dance was indeed enlivening.

The Reception Committee of the Conference deserves wholesome praise and kudos for the splendid and foolproof arrangements it made to host the Conference in a befitting manner from organising seminars in the run up to the Conference to hosting the three day mega event. The Reception Committee left no stone unturned to hold the Conference in a magnificent manner. Hundreds of Volunteers of ICPA, Mysore, GIPA, Bangalore Region and ICEU, Mysore Division worked round the clock tirelessly for successful conduct of the Conference. All kudos to them. The participation of women pensioners as volunteers was remarkable. The Conference will remain etched in the memories of all the delegates as a memorable and purposeful event for a long time to come and will constitute an important milestone in the onward journey of AIIPA.

LONG LIVE THE 9TH TRIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF AIIPA.

Comradely yours,

M Kunhikrishnan (General Secretary).