Karnataka to make term insurance mandatory for doctors, officers, staff in medical education dept

Bengaluru, Jan 4 (PTI) The Karnataka government has decided to make term insurance mandatory for all doctors, officers and staff under the Medical Education and Skill Development Department, Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said on Sunday.

Patil, in charge of medical education portfolio, said the decision follows the death of IAS officer Mahantesh Bilagi in a road accident last month, in which a technical oversight resulted in his family receiving nearly Rs 50 lakh less than the entitled amount.

"The issue came to notice during a governing council meeting of a medical college, where it was found that the officer had not updated his service status in the term insurance system after being promoted from the State Civil Services to the IAS," Patil said in a statement.

He added that the lapse had financial consequences for the bereaved family.

Taking serious note of the matter, Patil said he had directed the Additional Chief Secretary to issue a circular mandating all medical college and hospital doctors, officers and staff to enrol in term insurance schemes commensurate with their current salary and designation.

The objective, he said, is to ensure that families receive the full entitled insurance cover in the event of an employee's death.

The minister said many employees, particularly those in lower pay scales, may not have opted for adequate term insurance due to financial constraints or lack of awareness.

He said officials have been instructed to engage leading banks and insurance companies to offer the best possible term insurance schemes at affordable premiums.

He also said the department would examine the feasibility of extending term insurance benefits to contract employees as part of a broader social security measure.

In another decision, Patil said he had directed the Additional Chief Secretary and heads of medical colleges and hospitals to consider migrating experienced and meritorious outsourced employees into contract positions, strictly following the reservation roster.

Instead of fresh recruitment to fill temporary vacancies, eligible outsourced personnel with proven experience may be absorbed into the contract category to ensure continuity and fairness in employment, he said. PTI GMS ADB