Risk Management in Banking and Insurance · General Insurance

Section 64C: Councils of Life and General Insurance

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938 says the existing Life Insurance Council and the existing General Insurance Council are deemed constituted as the Councils under the Act. Each is a representative body of insurers: one for life insurers, the other for general, health and re-insurers. To answer questions, state who each Council represents.

Understand Councils of Life and General Insurance (Section 64C)

Insurers in India are many. They need a common body to speak for the industry, set standards of conduct and work with the regulator. The Insurance Act, 1938 provides for two such bodies: the Life Insurance Council and the General Insurance Council. Section 64C is the section that creates them in law.

Section 64C does not build the Councils from scratch. It says that, on and from the date of commencement of the Act, the existing Life Insurance Council and the existing General Insurance Council shall be deemed to have been constituted as the respective Councils under the Act. The words 'deemed' and 'existing' are the key. The bodies already existed; the Act gives them statutory status.

The two Councils represent different groups. The Life Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on life insurance business in India. The General Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on general, health insurance business and re-insurance in India. So health and re-insurance fall under the General Insurance Council, not the Life one.

The present text of Section 64C was substituted by the 2015 amendment (Act 5 of 2015), effective from 26-12-2014. It replaced the old sections 64C and 64D.

Section 64C only constitutes the Councils. Who sits on their Executive Committees, how long those committees last and what they do are covered in other sections: 64F (composition), 64H (duration of three years), 64E (the Executive Committee is the authority of each Council) and 64L (functions of the General Insurance Council's Executive Committee). Do not mix these up with 64C.

Key rules to remember

Section 64C: Life Insurance Council: Existing Life Insurance Council = representative body of insurers carrying on life insurance business in India, deemed constituted as the Council under the Act; Covers life insurers only.
Section 64C: General Insurance Council: Existing General Insurance Council = representative body of insurers carrying on general, health insurance business and re-insurance in India, deemed constituted as the Council under the Act; Health insurers and re-insurers are included here.
Nature of constitution: Deemed constitution on and from the date of commencement of the Act; The Councils are statutory by deeming; the section does not set up new bodies.
Related rule: Executive Committee of the Life Insurance Council (Section 64F(1)): 4 elected representatives of members + 1 eminent person (nominated by the Authority) + 3 persons (agents, intermediaries, policyholders; nominated by the Authority) + 1 each from self-help groups and Insurance Co-operative Societies; One of the four elected representatives is elected Chairperson.
Related rule: Executive Committee of the General Insurance Council (Section 64F(2)): 4 elected representatives of members + 1 eminent person (nominated by the Authority) + 4 persons (agents, third party administrators, surveyors and loss assessors, policyholders; nominated by the Authority); One of the four elected representatives is elected Chairperson.
Related rule: Duration (Section 64H(1)): Term of Executive Committee = 3 years from its first meeting; Outgoing members continue until a new committee is constituted.

How to solve Councils of Life and General Insurance (Section 64C) questions

Use this method for any question on the Councils, whether it is an MCQ, a short note or a case-based question.

1Identify what is asked: constitution (Section 64C), membership (64F), authorities (64E), duration (64H) or functions (64L). Name the section first.
2For constitution, state that the existing Council is deemed constituted under the Act on and from the commencement of the Act.
3State which insurers each Council represents: life insurers for the Life Council; general, health and re-insurers for the General Council.
4If the question is about a type of insurer (for example a health insurer or re-insurer), match it to the correct Council using the wording of the section.
5If membership is asked, switch to Section 64F and give the elected members, the nominees of the Authority and the Chairperson rule.
6Add one line on the role: representative body of the industry whose Executive Committee works through the bye-laws and advises on standards.
7Close with a one-line conclusion tying the facts to the case or question.

Quickest way: Match the insurer to the Council

When to use it: Use for MCQs that ask which Council covers a type of insurer, or which section constitutes the Councils.

Recall the pair: 64C constitutes both Councils; 'deemed' and 'existing' are the signal words.
Life business only: Life Insurance Council.
General, health or re-insurance: General Insurance Council.
If the options mention a number of members or a three-year term, it is 64F or 64H, not 64C.
Eliminate any option that says the Council is newly created by Section 64C or that health insurers belong to the Life Council.

Common mistakes in Councils of Life and General Insurance (Section 64C)

Placing health insurers under the Life Insurance Council.
Students link health with life and assume both go together.
Fix: Remember the wording: the General Insurance Council covers general, health insurance business and re-insurance.
Saying Section 64C creates new Councils.
The heading 'Councils' suggests creation.
Fix: The section says the existing Councils are deemed constituted. Use the words 'existing' and 'deemed'.
Leaving out re-insurers when describing the General Insurance Council.
Students remember only 'general insurers'.
Fix: Write the full list: general, health insurance business and re-insurance.
Quoting the membership of the Executive Committee under Section 64C.
Students merge 64C with 64F.
Fix: 64C is only constitution. Membership is in 64F. State the right section number.
Mixing up the two committee compositions: 3 nominees for life (plus one each from self-help groups and Co-operative Societies) versus 4 nominees for general.
The two sub-sections look similar.
Fix: Life: eminent person + three persons (agents, intermediaries, policyholders) + self-help group and Co-operative Society representatives. General: eminent person + four persons (agents, third party administrators, surveyors and loss assessors, policyholders).
Saying the Executive Committee's term is five years or that it ends the moment three years expire.
Guessing without recalling Section 64H.
Fix: The term is three years from the first meeting, but outgoing members continue until a new committee is constituted.

Worked examples

Example 1

Aarav works for a re-insurance company in Mumbai and Meera works for a life insurer in Chennai. Under Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938, which Council represents each of them? Explain briefly.

Show the solution

Section 64C deems two existing bodies constituted as the Councils under the Act.
The Life Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on life insurance business in India. Meera's employer is a life insurer, so it falls here.
The General Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on general, health insurance business and re-insurance in India. Aarav's employer carries on re-insurance, so it falls here.
Both are existing bodies given statutory status; neither is newly created by the section.

Answer: Meera's life insurer is represented by the Life Insurance Council. Aarav's re-insurer is represented by the General Insurance Council.

Example 2

Which one of the following is correct about Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938?
(a) It creates the Councils for the first time with effect from 2015.
(b) The existing Life Insurance Council and General Insurance Council are deemed to have been constituted as the respective Councils under the Act.
(c) The General Insurance Council represents only non-life insurers other than health insurers.
(d) The Executive Committee of each Council has a term of five years.

Show the solution

Option (a): wrong. The Councils already existed. The 2015 amendment only substituted the text of the section.
Option (b): matches the text of the section: existing Councils deemed constituted.
Option (c): wrong. The General Insurance Council includes health insurance business and re-insurance.
Option (d): wrong. Section 64H gives a term of three years, and it is not a Section 64C matter.

Answer: Option (b).

Exam tips

Learn the exact phrase 'existing ... deemed to have been constituted'. MCQs often test it by offering 'newly created' as a trap.
Memorise the General Council's full list: general, health insurance business and re-insurance.
Keep 64C (constitution), 64E (authorities), 64F (composition), 64H (duration) and 64L (functions) in separate boxes in your mind.
In case scenarios, first classify the insurer, then name the Council, then cite the section.
Do not give figures for committee strength unless asked; if asked, use Section 64F and state the exact heads.

Practice questions from General Insurance

Councils of Life and General Insurance (Section 64C) in other exams

The same ground in other exams, if you are preparing for more than one or want another angle on it.

Councils of Life and General Insurance (Section 64C): frequently asked questions

What does Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938 say?

It says that the existing Life Insurance Council and the existing General Insurance Council are deemed to have been constituted as the respective Councils under the Act. It also describes whom each Council represents.

Which insurers does the General Insurance Council represent?

It is a representative body of insurers who carry on general insurance, health insurance business and re-insurance in India. Life insurers are represented by the Life Insurance Council.

Is Section 64C the section that gives the composition of the Councils?

No. Section 64C only constitutes the Councils. The composition of their Executive Committees is in Section 64F, and their duration is in Section 64H.

What is the role of the Executive Committee in relation to the Councils?

Under Section 64E, the authorities of the Life Insurance Council and the General Insurance Council are the Executive Committees. The General Council's Executive Committee has the functions listed in Section 64L, such as advising insurers on standards of conduct and sound practice.