The Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services, issued Notification G.S.R. 653(E) on July 23, 2026, publishing the draft Insurance (Procedure for Holding Inquiry by Adjudicating Officer) Amendment Rules, 2026. Issued under clause (la) of sub-section (2) of Section 114 of the Insurance Act, 1938, these draft rules propose specific amendments to Rule 4 of the Insurance (Procedure for Holding Inquiry by Adjudicating Officer) Rules, 2016. The proposed amendments will come into force upon publication in the Official Gazette, following a 30-day public notice period for receiving objections and suggestions addressed to the Secretary, Department of Financial Services. Key modifications to Rule 4 include omitting references to sub-sections (8) and (9) of Section 42D in sub-rule (1), inserting Section 105BA after Section 105B in sub-rule (1), substituting the term “intermediary” with “insurance intermediary” in sub-rule (2)(b)(ii), and updating the statutory reference in sub-rule (5) from the “Evidence Act, 1872 (11 of 1872)” to the “Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (47 of 2023)”.
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(Department of Financial Services)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 23rd July, 2026
G.S.R. 653(E).— Draft rules to amend the Insurance (Procedure for Holding Inquiry by Adjudicating Officer) Rules, 2016, which the Central Government proposes to make in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (la) of sub-section (2) of section 114 of the Insurance Act, 1938, are hereby published for information of all persons likely to be affected thereby, and notice is hereby given that the said draft rules will be taken for publication in the Gazette of India after the expiry of a period of thirty days from the date on which the copies of the draft rules are made available to the public.
Objections or suggestions, if any, from persons likely to be affected may be addressed to the Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services, Jeevan Deep Building, 3rd floor, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001.
Objections or suggestions that may be received from persons likely to be affected with respect to the draft rules within the aforesaid period shall be considered by the Central Government.
DRAFT RULES
1. Short title and commencement:
1. These rules may be called the Insurance (Procedure for Holding Inquiry by Adjudicating Officer) Amendment Rules, 2026.
2. They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Insurance (Procedure for Holding Inquiry by Adjudicating Officer) Rules, 2016, in rule 4,
(i) in sub-rule (1), –
a. the words, brackets, figures and letters “or sub-sections (8) and (9) of section 42D” shall be omitted;
b. after the words, figures and letters “or section 105B” the words, figures and letters “or section 105BA” shall be inserted.
(ii) in clause (b) of sub-rule (2), in sub-clause (ii), –
(a) for the word “intermediary”, the words “insurance intermediary” shall be substituted.
(iii) in sub-rule (5), –
(a) for the words, brackets and figures “Evidence Act, 1872 (11 of 1872)”, the words, brackets and figures “Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (47 of 2023)” shall be substituted.
[F. No. 12018/02/2021-Ins.II]
Dr. DEBASISH PRUSTY, Addl. Secy.
Note: The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Subsection (i), vide notification number G.S.R. 178(E), dated the 17th February, 2016.
