New Delhi, March 24 (NationPress) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has acknowledged a complaint regarding the denial of life insurance benefits to individuals with hearing and speech impairments. The issue arises from the refusal of insurance providers to offer coverage to these individuals.

As per the complaint submitted to the Commission, people with these disabilities are finding it difficult to access life insurance policies, which raises serious concerns about discriminatory practices in the insurance industry.

In response, a bench led by Priyank Kanoongo has issued a notice to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). The notice mandates an investigation into the issue and the implementation of necessary measures.

The IRDAI has been instructed to provide a comprehensive response to the Commission within a 15-day timeframe.

A copy of the notice has also been sent to the Ministry of Finance for their awareness and subsequent action.

This recent move forms part of the Commission's extensive efforts to tackle discrimination faced by individuals with disabilities.

It follows prior discussions focused on the implications of re-verifying and re-assessing disability certificates, which could affect access to employment and benefits, and may also influence standardized underwriting practices for non-life-threatening disabilities.

Earlier this year, the NHRC organized a meeting of its Core Group on Disabilities centered on the theme 'Human rights violations arising from re-verification and re-assessment of certificates for government employees with disabilities.'

The meeting, presided over by Justice V. Ramasubramanian, underscored the potential dangers of blanket or widespread re-assessments of disability certificates, warning that such actions could erode dignity and lead to arbitrary exclusion from employment or welfare benefits.

During these discussions, several significant recommendations emerged, including a ban on mass medical re-assessments of all employees with disabilities.

The panel also advocated for the adoption of the Unique Disability ID digital framework as the primary verification method, with new medical assessments only occurring in cases backed by specific and evidence-based concerns.

Furthermore, it was proposed that the government's advisory or standard operating procedures from October 2025 should be applied for new applicants moving forward rather than retroactively.

The recommendations included essential safeguards such as documenting written reasons for scrutiny, allowing individuals a chance to respond, ensuring timely decisions, establishing appeal processes, and protecting individuals from negative actions during verification.

Additional suggestions involved implementing functional and accommodation-based assessments, providing doorstep services where necessary, training officials managing these cases, and establishing dedicated grievance redressal systems.

The Commission noted that these initiatives aim to balance administrative oversight with the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, while preventing misuse and minimizing undue hardship on existing beneficiaries with irreversible disabilities.