Micro-insurance Awareness and Enrolment Mission (MAEM), an initiative of the Department of Studies in Commerce, University of Mysore (UoM), to educate and enrol rural masses under various insurance schemes of the state and Central governments, is receiving good response from the villagers.
As many as 100 villages in four districts - Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajnagar - have been adopted under the project. A total of 250 students, under the guidance of 40 faculty members, have enroled more than 3,000 villagers under various insurance schemes.
“Student volunteers from 24 constituent colleges of UoM, have visited all the villages and have conducted awareness camps in villages. Twenty student volunteers in each team had organised two-day camps in each of the 100 villages and have enroled more than 3,000 villagers after counselling 25,000 of them,” said MAEM chief coordinator G Kotreshwar.
For the students, the camp was a learning experience. S Preethi, a volunteer and a student at UoM, said that it was an opportunity for her to know more about different insurance schemes, available for the benefit of people.
“I was aware of only about popular insurance scheme like Yeshaswini health insurance scheme for the members of co-operative societies but, after I was involved in the camp, I am came to know about various other schemes and I got in-depth knowledge about the benefits of insurance,” she said.
According to her, a majority of the rural population is aware of only about a few insurance schemes like Yeshaswini.
The volunteers created awareness about schemes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Yeshaswini, Vajpayee Arogyashree (VAS), National Crop Insurance Scheme (NCIS), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (JJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (SBY).
Kotreshwar said that the insurance is not just business, but a hallmark of every civilised society. But, many people are not insured and are unaware about its benefits.
“Compared to other countries, India has only a insurance products and many people cannot afford them. MAEM’s aim is to promote the spirit of learning among students and encourage rural population to be insured,” he said.
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