suggestions on amendments in promotion policy - oicoa

THE NATIONAL CONFEDERATION
OF
GENERAL INSURANCE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATIONS
C/o I.T.Department, Head Office, The Oriental Insurance company Limited, A-25/27, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110002
President
Jose Verghese
Cell : 9444914088
joseverghese@uiic.co.in
joje29@yahoo.com
CONFED/2011/SG/016
Shri G.Srinivasan,
Chairma, GIPSA,
C/O United India Insurance Company Limited,
24, Whites Road, Chennai
17 th June'2011
Working President
Debaditya Ganguly
Cell : 09433379587
debaditya_g@yahoo.com
debadityaganguly@
newindia.co.in
Secretary General
Vivek Saxena
Cell : 09871278625
viveksaxena@
orientalinsurance.co.in,
wewakesaxena@gmail.com
Addl. Secy. General
S. Akilan
Cell : 09487410038
s.akilan@nic.co.in
Treasurer
S.K.Ahuja
Cell : 09811287805
skahuja@
orientalinsuranc.co.in
Re.: SUGGESTIONS ON AMENDMENTS IN PROMOTION POLICY
SIR,
This has reference to the Amendments in Promotion Policy proposed by GIPSA
and notified by the GIPSA member Companies.
Sir, we feel that the process should have been more consultative and
collaborative. The Amendments finalized by GIPSA could have been discussed
with the Checked off Associations before being sent to the Companies for
adoption/ approval as the Meeting called on 18 th April could not have proper
discussions on the subject as it was envisaged more of a trust building
exercise. Being one of the largest stakeholders we deserved at least one
round of structured discussions on the proposed amendments in the Promotion
Policy and the same was requested in our letter No. CONFED/2011/SG/011
dated 23 rd May'2011 addressed to you.
Our long pending demand for overhauling Promotion Policy has not been
redressed. Docking fast track channel is a part of initiative of a
comprehensive Policy. A comprehensive approach note to the GIPSA
management was submitted by us in 2005. The issue may be resolved through
discussion after the current exercise is over, but within October' 2011.
In spite of great expectations by most of the Officers of movement to the
next cadre by way of Fast track but only 3-5% of the eligible officers will
finally make it. This will lead to increased frustration among officers.
Some section of Officers are having a feeling that Fast Track is being
introduced to eliminate them from the Promotion Process. With the
introduction of Fast Track, the Seniority channel should be made a
Examination hassle free channel so that officers who are not able to get
through the Examinations also stand some chance of getting promotions with
seniority.
NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
NEW INDIA ASSURANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
ORIENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
UNITED INDIA INSURANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

THE NATIONAL CONFEDERATION
OF
GENERAL INSURANCE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATIONS
C/o I.T.Department, Head Office, The Oriental Insurance company Limited, A-25/27, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110002
We would request you to consider the following:
1. To increase the number of vacancies and share the Cadre strength norms for bringing more
transparency in the system. The issue was raised by us on various occasions including 16 th March'2011
Meeting held at Hyderabad and on 18 th & 19 th April'2011 meeting held with you at Chennai. The
problem of cadre imbalance and cadre collapse cannot be handled by Fast Track alone. The total
number of the vacancies needs to be increased. We have demanded a number of times that the
vacancies be determined using scientifically devised cadre strength norms under a consultative
process along with us. We would request you to call a discussion on the matter immediately.
2. Since the year of implementation of the revised policy is 2011-12, with no reference to the prospective
nature, officers who have cleared exams in previous exercise should be given the benefit for im -
plementation in this year's promotion exercise itself on the option of opting out of examination. This
will not only facilitate the Officers but will also save the Man hours, leaves and Money spent on training
& traveling by the Companies.
3. Fast track should not be introduced in isolation. A parallel channel of Seniority channel also should
also be brought in without any examination system to take care of senior officers many of them who
may be excellent officers but not examination savvy.
4. Fast track should be allowed only in alternate cadre, at the discretion of the Officer, to ensure that
there is no major imbalance in movement of Officers to higher cadre. For eg an Officer can move 4
cadres in a span of 9 years by fast track, whereas someone who is good, but is not able to make it to
the next cadre due to lack of adequate vacancies in the Fast track, may have to wait even up to 9
years for his batch to come to consideration.
5. Evaluation parameters - Being a Fast track promotion, the weightage for Work record should be re -
duced compared to the Normal Channel. The interview marks should be reduced to remove the ele -
ment of subjectivity. Since many batches will be writing the exam simultaneously, within Fast track,
some marks may be kept for seniority to ensure that super cession are less along with due recognition
of merit as only qualified candidates will be under consideration.
6. Officers may not have an idea of the numbers of officers applying for the few fast track vacancies.
Hence those applying for Fast track may be allowed to withdraw after publication of the number of
candidates appearing for the exam, before the issue of Hall ticket.
7. To do away with the mandatory insurance qualification requirement to limit the number of Officers
attempting the exam. Rather than putting restriction on Officer wanting to try Fast track, Company
should encourage more and more Officers to attempt for Fast Track to get the best Officers. The
quality of the officer should not be judged by the Insurance qualification. To reduce the cost on examination,
rather than cutting on the number of candidates, company can look into online examinations,
which is adopted by many organizations nowadays. Productivity is going to be hard hit during
Insurance exams also, apart from the existing promotion exam period, as all the officers will now be
NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
NEW INDIA ASSURANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
ORIENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
UNITED INDIA INSURANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

THE NATIONAL CONFEDERATION
OF
GENERAL INSURANCE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATIONS
C/o I.T.Department, Head Office, The Oriental Insurance company Limited, A-25/27, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110002
taking leave preparing for the exams.
8. Alternately, to increase the moratorium period to three years to Four years as theoretical
calculation of clearing all the exams in one attempt within 2 years period is quite challenging.
9. Insurance qualification not having a bearing till date for promotion from Scale III to Scale IV, now
suddenly finds place with requirement of highest qualification, viz., Fellowship in Insurance, taking
all Scale III officers by surprise. Professional qualification should not be a criteria for Scale III to
IV. It may be noted that many of the Officers reaching this cadre may already have used the advantage
of Professional qualification in previous promotions( starting from Class III to I, Scale I to
II and Scale II to III). Again giving them the advantage may not be fair. Hence this provision can be
removed for Promotion from Scale III to IV.
10.Insurance Marks in Fast Track Channel for Associate should also be there.
11. Fast track can be introduced in Scale IV to V also, with 2 years waiting period as in Scale V to VI
and Scale VI to VII. It is a very short term perspective that stagnation in Scale IV to V is not there.
12.To consider the Professional Qualifications to be at par with Fellow for the purpose of Allowing
Specialist Officers in Fast Track and Qualification marks. The officers recruited for specialized
jobs are required to excel in their field. The officers having professional qualifications should be
reckoned at par with the fellow of the Insurance and hence they may be allowed to appear in
examination under Fast track provision.
13. To have a separate examination System, with higher standards, for Fast Track as the Officers
writing this examination will probably be those who do not come under the normal channel.
Keeping Fast track with normal channel may lead to increasing the examination standards for normal
channel which goes against the common officer The examination should have separate subjects for
different streams as the utilization of the officers has to be stream wise.
14. Also as a corollary to the above, being a different channel of Promotion the two chances for
Fast track should not be linked to the three attempts for the normal channel, as they are different
channels and also to enable eligible officers to try for Fast track without any inhibition.
We request you to call a meeting with the Checked off Associations to discuss the above mentioned issues
immediately.
Sincerely yours,
(Vivek Saxena)
Secretary General
NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
NEW INDIA ASSURANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
ORIENTAL INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
UNITED INDIA INSURANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION