Risk Management in Banking and Insurance · Life Insurance

Life Insurance Council under Section 64C of the Insurance Act

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938 deems the existing Life Insurance Council, a representative body of insurers carrying on life insurance business in India, to be constituted as the Council under the Act. The General Insurance Council is its parallel body for general insurance, health insurance and re-insurance insurers. Answer by stating who the members are and what each Council represents.

Understand Life Insurance Council under Section 64C

Insurers in India are regulated by the Authority (IRDAI), but the Insurance Act, 1938 also gives the industry its own representative bodies. These are the Life Insurance Council and the General Insurance Council. They are set out in Part of the Act that begins with Section 64C.

Section 64C says that the existing Life Insurance Council is a representative body of the insurers who carry on life insurance business in India. It says that the existing General Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on general, health insurance business and re-insurance in India. Both are deemed to have been constituted as the respective Councils under the Act. The present wording was substituted with effect from 26-12-2014.

So the membership test is simple. A life insurer belongs to the Life Insurance Council. An insurer doing general, health or re-insurance business belongs to the General Insurance Council. The Councils are bodies of insurers. They are not bodies of policyholders or agents, although those groups are represented on the Executive Committees.

The Council works through its Executive Committee, which is its authority under Section 64E. Section 64F fixes the Executive Committee: four members elected by the Council's members, one eminent person outside the insurance business nominated by the Authority, and nominees of the Authority for other interests. Section 64R lets the Council appoint staff, make bye-laws and keep a list of member insurers.

For the exam, remember the split: Section 64C tells you what the Councils are and who they represent. Other sections tell you how they are run and what they do.

Key rules to remember

Life Insurance Council (Section 64C(a)): Representative body of insurers carrying on life insurance business in India; The existing Council is deemed constituted as the Council under the Act.
General Insurance Council (Section 64C(b)): Representative body of insurers carrying on general, health insurance business and re-insurance in India; Do not leave out health insurance and re-insurance.
Authority of the Councils (Section 64E): Authority = Executive Committee; Each Council acts through its Executive Committee.
Executive Committee, Life (Section 64F(1)): 4 elected insurer representatives + 1 eminent person + 3 (agents, intermediaries, policyholders) + 1 each from self-help groups and Insurance Co-operative Societies; The Chairperson is one of the four elected representatives. Nominees are named by the Authority; the eminent person is not connected with insurance business.
Executive Committee, General (Section 64F(2)): 4 elected insurer representatives + 1 eminent person + 4 (agents, third party administrators, surveyors and loss assessors, policyholders); The Chairperson is again one of the four elected representatives.
Term of Executive Committee (Section 64H(1)): 3 years from the date of its first meeting; Outgoing members continue until a new Committee is constituted (Section 64H(2)).

How to solve Life Insurance Council under Section 64C questions

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

1Identify which Council the question is about: Life or General.
2State the Section 64C definition for that Council in plain words, including the type of business it covers.
3Say that each is a representative body of insurers and was deemed constituted as the Council under the Act.
4If composition is asked, move to Section 64F and list the elected members, the eminent person and the nominees for that Council.
5If functions or powers are asked, link to the Council's powers under Section 64R and, for the General Council, Section 64L.
6Check the case facts: match the insurer's business (life, general, health, re-insurance) to the correct Council.
7Close with a one-line conclusion that answers the exact question asked.

Quickest way: Match the business to the Council

When to use it: Use for MCQs that ask which Council an insurer belongs to or what Section 64C provides.

Underline the type of business in the question.
Life insurance business means Life Insurance Council.
General, health or re-insurance business means General Insurance Council.
Reject options that call the Council a government department, a regulator or a body of policyholders.
For composition options, check the numbers: four elected members, one eminent person, and the right nominee list for that Council.

Common mistakes in Life Insurance Council under Section 64C

Placing health insurers in the Life Insurance Council.
Health cover sounds close to life cover.
Fix: Section 64C(b) puts health insurance business with the General Insurance Council.
Leaving out re-insurance when describing the General Insurance Council.
Students remember only 'general insurance'.
Fix: Quote the full phrase: general, health insurance business and re-insurance.
Saying the Councils are regulators like IRDAI.
Both deal with insurers and sit in the same Act.
Fix: The Councils are representative bodies of insurers. The Authority regulates and nominates some Executive Committee members.
Mixing up the Life and General Executive Committee compositions.
Both have four elected members and one eminent person.
Fix: Life adds three nominees plus one each from self-help groups and Insurance Co-operative Societies. General has four nominees: agents, third party administrators, surveyors and loss assessors, and policyholders.
Treating the Chairperson as nominated by the Authority.
Students assume the regulator appoints the head.
Fix: The Chairperson is elected from among the four insurer representatives.
Writing the Councils were newly set up by Section 64C.
Students read 'constituted' literally.
Fix: The existing Councils are deemed to have been constituted as the Councils under the Act.

Worked examples

Example 1

State what Section 64C of the Insurance Act, 1938 provides about the Life Insurance Council and the General Insurance Council. (4 marks)

Show the solution

Section 64C deals with the Councils of Life Insurance and General Insurance.
Clause (a): the existing Life Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on life insurance business in India.
Clause (b): the existing General Insurance Council is a representative body of insurers who carry on general, health insurance business and re-insurance in India.
Both are deemed to have been constituted as the respective Councils under the Act.
So the dividing line is the type of business the insurer carries on.

Answer: Section 64C deems the existing Life Insurance Council (life insurers) and the existing General Insurance Council (general, health and re-insurance insurers) to be the Councils under the Act. Each is a representative body of insurers.

Example 2

Suraksha Health Ltd. is an insurer carrying on health insurance business in India. Bharat Life Ltd. carries on life insurance business. Of which Council is each a member under Section 64C, and who chairs the Executive Committee of that Council?

Show the solution

Bharat Life carries on life insurance business, so it falls under Section 64C(a): Life Insurance Council.
Suraksha Health carries on health insurance business, which Section 64C(b) places with the General Insurance Council.
Under Section 64F, each Executive Committee has four representatives elected by the Council's members.
The proviso says one of these elected representatives is elected Chairperson.
So the Chairperson is an insurer representative chosen by election, not an Authority nominee.

Answer: Bharat Life belongs to the Life Insurance Council; Suraksha Health belongs to the General Insurance Council. Each Executive Committee is chaired by one of its four elected insurer representatives.

Exam tips

Learn the exact business descriptions in Section 64C(a) and (b). MCQs often swap health insurance between the two Councils.
Be ready for composition questions: count the members and know who is elected and who is nominated.
In case scenarios, first classify the insurer's business, then name the Council before answering anything else.
Quote section numbers only for those you are sure of: 64C (Councils), 64E (authorities), 64F (Executive Committees), 64H (duration), 64R (powers).
Do not confuse the Councils with the Insurance Advisory Committee or with IRDAI.

Practice questions from Life Insurance

Life Insurance Council under 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.

Life Insurance Council under Section 64C: frequently asked questions

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

It provides 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. The Life Council represents life insurers. The General Council represents insurers doing general, health and re-insurance business.

Who are the members of the Life Insurance Council?

The members are insurers who carry on life insurance business in India. The Council is a representative body of insurers, not of agents or policyholders. Those groups have nominated places on its Executive Committee.

Is the Life Insurance Council a regulator?

No. It is a representative body of life insurers. The Authority (IRDAI) is the regulator and nominates some members of the Executive Committee. The Council makes bye-laws on matters such as elections, meetings and fees under Section 64R.

How long does the Executive Committee of the Council last?

Under Section 64H, it lasts three years from the date of its first meeting. It then stands dissolved and a new Committee is constituted. Outgoing members continue to hold office until the new Committee is formed.