Bengaluru University mandates health and life insurance for students

Bengaluru

Bengaluru University has decided to make health insurance and central government life and accident insurance compulsory for all its students, prioritizing their well-being.

The university, which houses 54 departments and enrolls over 4,000 students across undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs, found it challenging to bear the entire cost of health insurance for all students. Therefore, it has been decided to include the health insurance premium within the students' annual fees. This decision was made during the last Syndicate meeting.

However, recognizing the limited coverage offered by this approach, Bengaluru University plans to engage with private insurance companies to explore options for providing more comprehensive benefits to students. In addition, the Syndicate meeting resolved to compulsorily enroll all students across all university departments and affiliated colleges under the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Yojana' (Prime Minister's People's Safety Scheme).

Bengaluru University had initially considered providing health insurance as early as 2017, even forming a committee to determine premium amounts and the division of costs between students and the university. However, no further action was taken after the committee submitted its report.

  Students currently studying at the university are advocating that the university should not levy excessive charges under the guise of health insurance. They insist that the university itself should bear a larger portion of the cost. Furthermore, they urge the university to enhance the infrastructure of its on-campus health center to ensure quality medical treatment for students.

Dr. S.M. Jayakar, Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru University, stated, "Most of the students who enroll with us come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, making it extremely difficult for them to afford health, life, and accident insurance on their own. Moreover, in the current circumstances, it is also challenging for the university to incur significant additional expenses. Keeping this in mind, we have instructed that students be enrolled in the central government's insurance schemes."