Why Black People Had a Complex Relationship With Fidel Castro

Why Black People Had a Complex Relationship With Fidel Castro When Fidel Castro died on Nov. 25, 2016, Cuban exiles in the United States celebrated the demise of a man they called an evil dictator. Castro committed a series of human rights abuses, they said, silencing political dissidents by imprisoning or killing them. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio  (R-Florida) summed up the feelings of many Cuban Americans about Castro in a statement he released after  the ruler’s passing. â€Å"Sadly, Fidel Castro’s death does not mean freedom for the Cuban people or justice for the democratic activists, religious leaders, and political opponents he and his brother have jailed and persecuted,† Rubio said. â€Å"The dictator has died, but the dictatorship has not. And one thing is clear, history will not absolve Fidel Castro; it will remember him as an evil, murderous dictator who inflicted misery and suffering on his own people.† In contrast, blacks throughout the African Diaspora viewed Castro through a more complicated lens. He may have been a brutal dictator but he was also an ally to Africa, an anti-imperialist who eluded assassination attempts by the U.S. government and a champion of education and healthcare. Castro supported the efforts of African nations to liberate themselves from colonial rule, opposed apartheid and granted exile to a prominent African American radical. But along with  these deeds, Castro faced criticism from blacks during the years before  his death because of racism’s persistence in Cuba. An Ally to Africa Castro proved himself to be a friend to Africa as various countries there fought for independence during the 1960s and ’70s. After Castro’s death, Bill Fletcher, Black Radical Congress founder, discussed the unique  relationship between the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and Africa on the Democracy Now! radio program. â€Å"The Cubans were very supportive of the Algerian struggle against the French, which succeeded in 1962,† Fletcher said. â€Å"They went on to support the various anti-colonial movements in Africa, including in particular  the anti-Portuguese movements in Guinea-Bissau, Angola, and Mozambique. And they were unquestioning in their support for the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.† Cuba’s support to Angola as the West African nation fought for independence from Portugal in 1975 set into motion apartheid’s end. Both the Central Intelligence Agency and the apartheid government of South Africa tried to thwart the revolution, and Russia objected to Cuba intervening in the conflict. That didnt deter Cuba from getting involved, however. The 2001 documentary Fidel: The Untold Story chronicles how Castro sent 36,000 troops to keep South African forces from attacking Angola’s capital city and more than 300,000 Cubans aided in Angola’s independence struggle - 2,000 of whom were killed during the conflict. In 1988, Castro sent in even more troops, which helped to overcome the South African army and, thus, advance the mission of black South Africans. But Castro didn’t stop there. In 1990, Cuba also played a role in helping Namibia win independence from South Africa, another blow to the apartheid government. After Nelson Mandela was freed from prison in 1990, he repeatedly thanked Castro.   â€Å"He was a hero in Africa, Latin America, and North America for those who needed freedom from oligarchic and autocratic oppression,† the Rev. Jesse Jackson said of Castro in a statement about the Cuban leader’s death. â€Å"While Castro, unfortunately, denied many political freedoms, he at the same time did establish many economic freedoms - education and health care. He changed the world. While we may not agree with all of Castro’s actions, we can accept his lesson that where there is oppression there must be resistance.† Black Americans like Jackson  have long expressed admiration for Castro, who famously met with Malcolm X in Harlem in 1960 and sought out meetings with other black leaders. Mandela and Castro South Africa’s Nelson Mandela publicly praised Castro for his support of the anti-apartheid struggle. The military support Castro sent to Angola helped to destabilize the apartheid regime and pave the way for new leadership. While Castro stood on the right side of history, as far as apartheid was concerned, the U.S. government is said to have been involved in Mandela’s 1962 arrest and even characterized him as a terrorist. Moreover, President  Ronald Reagan vetoed the Anti-Apartheid Act. When Mandela was released from prison after serving 27 years for his political activism, he described Castro as an â€Å"inspiration to all freedom-loving people.† He applauded Cuba for remaining independent in spite of fierce opposition from imperialist nations such as the United States. He said that South Africa also wished â€Å"to control our own destiny† and publicly asked Castro to visit. â€Å"I haven’t visited my South African homeland yet,† Castro said. â€Å"I want it, I love it as a homeland. I love it as a homeland as I love you and the South African people.† The Cuban leader finally traveled to South Africa in 1994 to watch Mandela become its first black president. Mandela faced criticism for supporting Castro but kept his promise not to ignore his allies in the fight against apartheid. Why Black Americans Admire Castro African Americans have long felt a kinship to the people of Cuba  given the island nation’s considerable black population. As Sam Riddle, political director of Michigan’s National Action Network told the Associated Press, â€Å"It was Fidel who fought for the human rights for black Cubans. Many Cubans are as black as any black who worked in the fields of Mississippi or lived in Harlem. He believed in medical care and education for his people.† Castro ended segregation after the Cuban Revolution and gave asylum to Assata Shakur (nee Joanne Chesimard), a black radical who fled there after a 1977 conviction for killing a state trooper in New Jersey. Shakur has denied wrongdoing. But Riddle’s portrayal of Castro as a race relations hero may be somewhat romanticized given that black Cubans are overwhelmingly poor, underrepresented in positions of power and locked out of jobs in the country’s burgeoning tourism industry, where lighter skin appears to be a prerequisite to entry. In 2010, 60 prominent African Americans, including Cornel West and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, issued a letter attacking Cubas human rights record, especially as it related to black political dissidents. They expressed concern that the Cuban government had â€Å"increased violations of civil and human rights for those black activists in Cuba who dare raise their voices against the islands racial system.† The letter also called for the release from prison of black activist and physician Darsi Ferrer. Castro’s revolution may have promised equality for blacks, but he was ultimately unwilling to engage those who pointed out that racism remained. The Cuban government responded to the concerns of the African American group by simply denouncing their statement.

Marketing Yourself Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing Yourself - Assignment Example The results confirmed a lot of what I already know, for example that I am very good at numerical subjects and I like working with people. The most exact fit with my skills and outlook was accounting, which for me was a rather disappointing outcome, because this profession has the reputation of being boring. Looking at the subheadings, however, made me realise that there are many related professions like economist, computer systems analyst and even FBI agent which might be more interesting. I found also the suggestions in computer science, because I have always enjoyed this part of my studies. The study suggested that finance was not the best fit for me, which was a surprise at first. When I looked at some of the other questions I realised that I do not want a high risk job, and this is probably why. Overall I am happy with this result, and I have learned to look at a wider range of possible careers, and not just core college subject areas, and I have made a plan to look into the poss ibilities of computer related employment, perhaps in the area of Management Information Systems where I can use maths along with computer skills and ability to deal with people. References Mymajors.com survey result. Available at: http://www.mymajors.com/report_advisement.cfm?id=374875&cid=fblike

A World of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A World of Art - Essay Example Perhaps staring out from his asylum window, Van Gogh saw the world as both beautiful and lonely (p.61). Also, the tall, bold and white church in the middle gives a sense of balance and stability to the painting amongst the uncontrolled swirls, highlighting Van Gogh’s feelings of religion in the world. Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing No. 681 is also a masterpiece of lines but in a more controlled and logical way (p.64). The four perfect squares with precise lines in four different directions marked by dark boundaries illustrate a regular, mathematical sequence. Lewitt’s use of soothing, colorful lines emanates feelings of peace and unity. Also, the perfection and uniformity of the lines are practically instructing the viewers on how to replicate such exquisiteness themselves (p.65). Lewitt uses the most basic of lines, showing how the world abounds with beauty in the simplest of lines and strokes. Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez depicts a large room in King Philipâ€℠¢s palace with the little princess standing gracefully in the middle (p.155). She is surrounded by maids, chaperones, a dwarf and even Velazquez himself; all positioned in such a way around her allowing the viewer to take in the spaciousness of the room. Some figures are interacting with themselves while others gaze out of the painting creating a sense of movement projected beyond the boundaries of the canvas. The towering easel on the left, the dark ceiling above and the shadowed paintings behind the princess aptly reveal the length and height of the room. Also, the light shining on the figures shows how they are standing in the front, away from the dark and distant background, giving an effect of not only the vastness of space but also creating a sense of balance and uniformity. The lightness of the floor and part of the right wall in addition to the shadowy ceiling and back wall allow the eyes to travel all around the room effectively taking in the organizational space. Also, the depth of the room just doesn’t end at the rear wall, for the open doorway to the right, leads the vanishing point further back, extending the visualized space a viewer initially took in. The paintings hanging behind and to the right of the figures give a grid-like pattern to this masterpiece, reinforcing the overall spatial harmony and balance. Also, the effect of vast space is further exaggerated by Velazquez by showing a mirror in the middle of the rear wall, reflecting the King and Queen which are not even present in the room. This adds to the overall spaciousness of the painting creating a sense of space not limited to the boundaries of the canvas. Edward Hopper’s oil painting, Nighthawks, shows a few people sitting around in a brightly lit diner at night (p.510). The darkened windows and street outside lets the viewers know that it is late at night creating a sense of isolation and loneliness. The only light falling on the otherwise dull, red brick building acros s the street is from the practically empty diner called Phillies. The dark black exterior of the diner stands in stark contrast to the bright cherry red, yellow and green colors inside. This counter balance of colors creates a somber and depressing mood reminding us that even though the world is still there all around us, it is filled with intense gloom and loneliness. The light shines brightly off the metallic containers and even the bartender’

What is a circular economy, what are some of the key principles, Essay

What is a circular economy, what are some of the key principles, concepts and building blocks and what system shifts might be needed to bring it about at scale - Essay Example This report deals with the analysis of a circular economy by considering the main principles and challenges associated with this kind of economy, by assessing the benefits and need of this kind of economy and by discussing how this economy has already been implemented by some nations cross the world. For this purpose, evidences are drawn for Jamaica and the Caribbean regions to understand the exact proposition and need of a circular economy. The report is suitably concluded by highlighting and summarizing the key findings and supporting the arguments as presented in favour of the need to shift from the traditional industrial economy framework to a circular industrial economy framework. The circular economy can perhaps be best explained by drawing a parallel of this economy with the traditional linear economy that is currently existent in the industrial domains. In the current economic system, the companies and industries tend to extract resources from the ecosystem at an accelerating pace and then use them into the manufacturing and production processes to make products that are usually disposed after some time of use (Lowitt, 2008). This approach seems to be efficient from the perspective of an organization or an individual. However, if observed from a global and holistic view, then this approach would seem to be highly unsustainable and hazardous for the future of the ecosystem and the planet (McDonough, Braungart and Clinton, 2013). Therefore in order to help the organizations, ecosystem and the industries to survive, an economic system should be developed that would operate within the natural and planetary boundaries. The concept of the circular economy is dev eloped on the basis of the idea of decoupling the prosperity and growth of the organizations and industries through the use of the ecosystem and natural resources with the concern

Roles of Leadership and Motivation in Management

Roles of Leadership and Motivation in Management This paper tells about roles of leadership and motivation in the field of management, how it plays, what kind of role it plays, how it is useful in getting success of the team and theories of leadership and motivation. Introduction Leadership and motivation, from the definitions leader means that who leads the team then he will be the leader for that team. But clearly, the leader does not always go first and he develops the effective ideas and implements those ideas by motivating the team members. So leader ship and motivation both are linked together. Now leader will be the person who motivates the team and that will be his leadership. The leader to accomplish their responsibility has to be familiar with how to inspire people and be obliged to search for ways to do this so as to preserve their position has leader. A good leader must posses a vision and having a vision provides a leader with purpose. This vision can help each employee to see what the future holds and what is the results of todays extra efforts and hard work. It also display what future offers as a rational extension of todays efforts. To a leader, vision is a reality that is in the reach in the near future. Vision is not a dream, it is reflect of breadth of understanding that enables an organization to advance and compete. A good leader designs and directs a precise plan for how to make a vision reality. The best vision is generated through discussion and debate with employees who carry and implement the vision. If employees are convinced about the purpose and reasons of implementing the plan, they will do extra effort in the reaching the shared vision. The vision should have a direct link with the objective of the organization. Finally, a shared and accepted vision is the critical link to high commitment and performance by every members of organization. A shared vision not only ties individual employees with together and leadership, but also generates a positive and constructive relationship between management and employees. The main steps in the creating of the shared vision are; employees and leaders must establish a working relation for the generation of shared vision; they proactively seek out for change rather than wait for a crises that demands action; they should define a shared vision for improvement of products and services; and they implement vision with the team work and group efforts. Ethical Issues In Leadership And Motivation Actual leaders contemplate resting on undertaking the accurate obsession, not resting on deed possessions correct. With the aim of recommendation as of managerial board of advisers comes seeing with the aim of refusal bolt from the blue in the direction of respective firm leaders, according to what actives are crammed by means of easier said than done principled dilemmas. Principals knowledge suchlike uncertainties taking place an every day basis. Having ethical liabilities in the direction of the social order, on the road to the line of work, en route for the institute panel in addition to students, they come across with the intention of this frequently is not comprehensible what is correct or incorrect, or what individual have to carry out, or else which point of view is spot on within ethical stipulations. Unluckily, comparatively a small number of chairpersons have been skilled in the direction of agreement in the midst of these contrasts. In anticipation of awfully newly, principled issues were agreed modest concentration within grounding structures. Here Is An Example Describing About Ethical Issues Of School Leader A senior fellow in the leadership field comments so as to school leader countenance an only one of its kind set of moral difficulties. Academies are ethical associations, premeditated to endorse communal criterions, in addition to chiefs are ethical assistants those have to time and again create resolutions with the intention of good turn single honest worth in excess of a different. In addition, even though schools are devoted on the way to the welfare of kids, students contain practically refusal authority into what appears close at hand. Intended for all such kind of contemplates. The privileged behaviour has got to be intentionally ethical. Influentials ethical sense of duty asserts develop not merely into the palpable everyday principled confusions, other than in the routine actions and structured networks with the aim of might encompass concealed moral casual remarks. A senior fellow in managing field comments that each communal preparation settlements several persons next to the outlay of the rest of persons; merely to suppose so as to schools exemplify pleasing values are morally inexperienced, if not in the incorrect. consequently, the chief has got to not simply perform dependably at the same time as an human being, other than be obliged to produce an moral foundation or society. Since influentials, cardinals have a particular accountability on the way to put into consequence influence into a principled technique. A senior fellow in Leadership studies adverts out that much of a principals authority is moral; that means, tutors have got to be persuaded so as to the principals indicate of spectacle reflect principles they prop up. Compulsion from side to side self-important influence will hardly ever encompass an optimistic, permanent consequence or result. Examples Of Some Moral Dilemmas Are Facing By Chiefs Since distinct by a senior fellow, a moral predicament is not a selection between correct and incorrect, although an alternative flanked by two privileges. If suppose, allowing for an inducement would be an ethical enticement; conclusive if insufficient possessions have to set off on the way to an outstanding set of courses or a dissenter-avoidance structure would comprise a quandary. Confusions happen when exquisite standards divergence. A main who standards in cooperation educator self-sufficiency in addition to scholar attainment will countenance a tight spot while tutors wish for endorse a guiding principle so as to push down opportunities. This variety of disagreement is finely tuned for the reason that discipline best are unrestricted administrators by means of commitments to a lot of individuals those frequently encompass challenging principles or comforts. Must guardians be well-versed if an analyst apprentices with the intention of guardians spawn is making an allowance for an aborting? Must a learner assemblage be talented to manuscript a congregation presenter and that presenter attitudes will hurt somebodys feelings several in the commune? Should the chief hold up an educator who has completed doubtful marking pronouncements? Several educational programmers put forward those commitments towards managers or chiefs set particular weight resting on princi pled executive. Meant for case, a fellow asked chiefs to approximation how a characteristic co-worker would act in response to theoretical confusions. Compassionate frequently announced that equals or co-workers would obtain the pathway of smallest amount confrontation with adjourning to admirable or captivating place of safety in bureaucrat actions, that the theoretical social group in point of fact reproduce the standard. Ethical confectioners in general are in agreement close at hand is no moral recipe book with the intention of provides trouble-free solutions to multifaceted dilemmas. Other than a numeral of academicians encompass recommended a number of guiding principles. 1. Influential persons must have and live enthusiastic in the direction of take action lying on an unambiguous intelligence of principled values. A fellow asserts that a completely well-versed principled awareness will be full of arguments of compassionate like what perform our affairs stipulate of us? Means that a leader should know that what he is going to perform; impartiality and it tells that how can we administer ourselves fairly? Because as a leader we should administer ourselves in order to perform requirements; and assessment Where do we go down diminutive of our have possession of principles? Like these type of questions has to be developed by an ethical leader. 2. Guider should look at problems commencing dissimilar attitudes. A senior fellow described that there can be three kinds of dilemmas in any organization. One is to look forward to the momentousness of every preference and endeavor towards make out who is going to be pretentious, with in what kind of conducts. One more come up to have ethical regulations, presumptuous with the intention of the humankind would be a recovered position if populace for eternity helped definite extensively conventional principles (such as influential the genuineness). And final viewpoint accentuates thoughtful, which is comparable in the direction of the fair-haired imperative: How would we in the vein of to be appraised concealed by comparable state of affairs? 3. Superiors can frequently reassemble principled or moral issues or arguments. A lot of noticeable confusion fluctuations are in point of fact â€Å"confusion fluctuations or dilemmas, contributing a third pathway so as to abstain the either-or thoughts. If we take an example like, double-dealing with a parent who substance in the direction of a meticulous coursework assignments on spiritual justification, a most important chief or principal might be capable to discuss an substitute project, by this means cherishing educational truthfulness devoid of circumventing on guardian privileges. 4. At long last, privileged individuals have to maintain the practice of mindful indications, anywhere it possibly will show the way them. Explaining Leadership And Motivation Within The Group Here I am explaining about a group and how the leader motivates the group. Here is a brief description about leadership and motivation by taking a group as an example. This example is my past experience when I worked in the group during my graduation project work. We are five people formed as a group and our topic was how to make a successful organization and how individual should work in groups. So we searched a lot books and we collected a number of journals and we read successful managers autobiographies and we finally came up with a great subject that was a â€Å"Belbins profiles† and in that we found a very much information regarding leadership and motivation in order to get success a group or an organization should make an assembly and they should choose a leader. Here controversy comes in to the group who is going to be leader and how to choose a leader and there we found important key roles to choose a leader. Those key roles are divided like resource investigator, team worker, plant, complete finisher, monitor, evaluator, coordinator and shaper. So every individual has their own personalities or profiles like explained above. If any individual want to become leader to a respective group he should fulfill all the requirements and achievements of those profiles like resource investigator deals in investigating of resources required to achieve a success of that group or an organization, team worker should maintain healthy relationships among the coworkers and walk on the road with coworkers to get success, plant this role is very important to the team because plant means base to the team or an organization. This role links with every role in the organization, complete finisher is the role deals in completing a project of a firm or a group. Complete finishers main duty is to complete the project without loopholes. He gets a copy of the project and stars investigation from plant to every profiles role and eliminates unnecessary factors and includes if there is a need to include a particular concept in order to finish like closed chain, monitor role plays a vital role in the group that is this role duty is to monitor every individuals work from starting the project onwards till closing of the project and he should present a daily base report or feedback to the team workers and to every individuals taking part in the project, evaluators role is to evaluate the drawbacks or loopholes of the respective project, having healthy relationship with monitor and resource investigator, shaper , team worker. And about shaper this role deals with maintenance, performance of coordinator, monitor, and the structure of the project and team. So any individual wants to become leader he should have experience in the entire roles and fields witch I just explained above and also if any group wants to choose its leader that group should consider all the roles. Because leader and his leadership is everything for an organization or a group and he should have capability to motivate his group. Key factors to choose a perfect leader Leader should have the aim on to improve workplace efficiency and also to diminish the minor problems with workplace he should come with his own creative ideas in order to motivate his team. And the successful leader has a goal like in any task to get the work completed and his leadership controls efficiency and by controlling efficiency he gets control on competitive value of service and finally achieves the success â€Å"Leadership Innovation Today, fast growing organizations are built on leadership innovation, that is, they are not built by product visionaries but by social visionaries — those who invent entirely new ways of organizing human effort.† And we have variety kinds of leaderships here like Visionary Leadership in this decision making management plays an important role because for every success and failure of a management there should be an effective or ineffective decision making skills behind that success or failure. And this decision making visionary leadership puts an eye on work efficiency by moving decision-making responsibility to the frontline and there by achieves an increased efficiency. Efficiency is achieved with limited supervision. To make frontline responsibility effective, leadership must give workers opportunity to develop quality decision-making skills and learn to trust them. Standard leadership , in this standard leadership leader only concentrates on the employees work like what he said and what is going on their? And what employees are doing to get work done? And workers to be robots to get work done, this is all about leaders nature in their qualities of making decisions and makes creative quality decisions. â€Å"This is called as command and control leadership. Low efficiency is caused by the disconnect between management and the frontline. Management is busy dealing with problems that affect them while ignoring problems that affect the frontline. Front line problems are only dealt with when they explode into a major problem. K-Mart stores use standard leadership.† Policies the style of Leadership is monitored by workplace policies. â€Å"Leaders will adapt their style to the organization priorities and its goals.† High efficiency workplaces are based on visionary leadership, where workplace policies authorize decision-making responsibility at the frontline. Limited supervision is needed with worker responsibility. Standard leadership is based on mans instinctive desire for control, which is leadership by default. A leaders changing mood controls policy of the moment and no one knows what the priorities are mood-changing priorities reduce efficiency. Standard leadership requires a high level of supervision. Elements To Consider Ethical policies Ethical policies at the organizations top filter down to the frontline. It is not possible to have unethical policies at the top and enforce ethical policies at the bottom. Leaders ethical policies become the mindset of the organization. A person with high ethical standards will not stay long in an organization with low ethical standards, they will quit or be fired. A potential whistle blower becomes a threat, yet, this type of person makes an organization efficient. Success of workplace responsibility requires high ethical policies from top to bottom. Exception to the rule The military uses command-and-control leadership, yet the troops are highly skilled, motivated and morale is high. This is opposite the statements stated above. The difference military organizations are team orientated with continuous training. Troops expanding their skills and experiencing capabilities they never dreamed possible, produces a highly motivated and efficient organization. Learning opportunity and responsibility is the key.

Aiding Education Essays -- Essays Papers

Aiding Education A look at what the U.S. must do to improve education for the poor. Introduction The public educational system in the United States is in desperate need of rejuvenation. The US’s standards are not up to par with other industrialized nations and because of this children don’t learn the fundamental skills required to become productive members of society. This trend is especially noticeable in areas of high poverty where schools do not have access to adequate resources to provide help for students that need it. Both the federal government and the states themselves have taken measures to right the course of the American educational system, but thus far the gains have been meager at best. In examining the current state of the United States’ educational system with respect to areas of significant poverty, it is important to determine what caused this country’s system to decay to such a dangerous levels, what is currently being done to correct the situation, and what more needs to be done in the future. How the states are helping fix the problem Annual test results like those from a recent MCAS exam (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) confirm what most of us already believe to be true: the communities with the lowest test scores are those with the highest levels of poverty. The strong correlation between poverty and poor academic performance has been evident to those in education for some time. The fact that it lingers and is in fact worsening in many areas begs the question: what are states doing to reverse this trend? (Brown) Because of the dire need for change with regards to education, state and federal policy makers alike have become increasingly focused on generating acceptable... ...r states to continue adjusting their funding methods and for the federal government to start living up to its promises. Bibliography Berliner, David. Vouchers: No Solution to Educating the Poor. http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRU/point_of_view_essays/cerai-00-37a.htm Feb 22, 2002. Brown, Eileen. â€Å"Educating America’s New Majority.† http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/er/newmaj1.html Cardiff, Chris. â€Å"Education: What About the Poor?† http://www.fee.org/vnews.php?nid=221 Carey, Kevin. â€Å"State Poverty-Based Education Funding: A Survey of Current Programs and Options for Improvement.† November 7, 2000. Ourfuture.org. â€Å"Bush’s Budget Fails Education.† http://www.ourfuture.org/issues_and_campaigns/education/20040202_edu_budget.cfm. Rebora. Anthony. â€Å"No Child Left Behind.† http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=59 May 26, 2004.

General Insurance

DISSERTATION REPORT ON Marketing of General Insurance Products (with special reference to Iffco- Tokio General Insurance) SUMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE RQUIREMENT OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION H. N. B. GARHWAL UNIVERSITY SRINAGAR, GARHWAL SUBMITTED BY:SUBMITTED TO: Vaibhav JoshiMs. Prapti Tandon MIB IVth SemFaculty of IMS MIB06037 INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, DEHRADUN CERTIFICATE I have the pleasure in certifying that Mr. Vaibhav Joshi is a bonafide student of MIB IV semester of the Master’s Degree in International Business of Institute of Management Studies, Dehradun under University Roll No. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. He has completed his/her dissertation work entitled Marketing of general insurance products (with reference to Iffco tokio general insurance under my guidance). I certify that this is his original effort and has not been copied from any other source. This project has also not been submitted in any other university for the purpose of award of nay degree. This project fulfills the requirement of the curriculum prescribed by H. N. B. Garhwal University, Srinagar for the said course. I recommend this Dissertation work for evaluation and consideration for the award of degree to the student. Signature: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Name of the Guide:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. TABLE OF CONTENTS |S. NO. |TOPIC | |1. |INTRODUCTION | |2. INDUSTRIAL BACKGROUND | |3. |TYPES OF INSURANCE | |4. |REASEARCH METHODOLOGY | |5. |DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION | |6. |OBSERVATION & CONCLUSIONS | |7. |RECOMMENDATION | |8. BIBLIOGRAPHY | |9. |ANNEXURE | GENERAL INSURANCE BUSINESS General insurance business in the country was nationalized with effect from 1st January, 1973 by the General Insurance Business (Nationalization) Act, 1972. More th an 100 non-life insurance companies including branches of foreign companies operating within the country were amalgamated and grouped into four companies, viz. the National Insurance Company Ltd. , the New India Assurance Company Ltd. , the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. , and the United India Insurance Company Ltd. with head offices at Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, respectively. General Insurance Corporation (GIC) which was the holding company of the four public sector general insurance companies has since been delinked from the later and has been approved as the â€Å"Indian Reinsurer† since 3rd November 2000. The share capital of GIC and that of the four companies are held by the Government of India. All the five entities are Government companies registered under the Companies Act. The general insurance business has grown in spread and volume after nationalization. The four companies have 2872 branch offices, 1373 divisional offices and 95 regional offices spread all over the country. These companies also have 44 overseas offices spread over 25 countries. The market share of Government-owned insurance companies stood at 79. 93% as on March 2005. MAJOR POLICY CHANGES Reforms In Insurance Sector Insurance sector has been opened up for competition from Indian private insurance companies with the enactment of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (IRDA Act). As per the provisions of IRDA Act, 1999, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) was established on 19th April 2000 to protect the interests of holder of insurance policy and to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the insurance industry. IRDA Act 1999 paved the way for the entry of private players into the insurance market, which was hitherto the exclusive privilege of public sector insurance companies/ corporations. Under the new dispensation Indian insurance companies in private sector were permitted to operate in India with the following conditions: Company is formed and registered under the Companies Act, 1956; The aggregate holdings of equity shares by a foreign company, either by itself or through its subsidiary companies or its nominees, do not exceed 26%, paid up equity capital of such Indian insurance company; The company’s sole purpose is to carry on life insurance business or general insurance business or reinsurance business. The minimum paid up equity capital for life or general insurance business is Rs. 100 crores. The minimum paid up equity capital for carrying on reinsurance business has been prescribed as Rs. 200 crores. The Authority has notified 37 Regulations on various issues which include Registration of Insurers, Regulation on insurance agents, Solvency Margin, Re-insurance, Obligation of Insurers to Rural and Social sector, Investment and Accounting Procedure, Protection of policy holders’ interest etc. Applications were invited by the Authority with effect from 15th August, 2000 for issue of the Certificate of Registration to both life and non-life insurers. The Authority has its Head Quarter at Hyderabad . Detailed information on IRDA is available at their web-site www. irdaindia. org |GENERAL INSURERS |   | |Public Sector |   | |1. National Insurance Company Limited |www. nationalinsuranceindia. com | |2. New India Assurance Company Limited |www. niacl. com | |3. Oriental Insurance Company Limited |www. orientalinsurance. nic. in | |4. United India Insurance Company Limited |www. uiic. co. in | |5. Export Credit Guarantee Corporation |www. ecgcindia. com | |Private Sector |   | |6. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. bajajallianz. co. in | |7. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. icicilombard. com | |8. IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. itgi. co. in | |9. Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. ril. com | |10. Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. royalsun. com | |11. TATA AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. tata-aig. com | |12. Cholamandalam General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. cholainsurance. com | |13. HDFC Chubb General Insurance Co. Ltd. |www. hdfcchubb. com | |14. Agricultural Insurance Co. of India Ltd. |www. aicofindia. org | |REINSURER |   | |1. General Insurance Corporation of India |www. gicindia. com | Insurance Ombudsmen: One of the major areas of concern of the Government has been the efficient customer services in the insurance sector. With a view to ensure expeditious redressal of public grievances relating to the settlement of the claims, the Government has introduced a system of Ombudsman in the Insurance Sector with effect from 11th November 1998. Insurance Ombudsmen are currently located in 12 cities. Each Ombudsman is empowered to redress customer grievances in respect of insurance contracts on personal lines where the insured amount is less than Rs. 20 lakhs. MARKETING – GENERAL INSURANCE INTRODUCTION: Marketing is the Marketing side of Commerce – company efforts to communicate about, promote, and sell products and services over the Internet. E-marketing is a type of marketing that can be defined as achieving objectives through the use of electronic communications technology such as Internet, e-mail, Ebooks, database, and mobile phone. It is a more general term than online marketing which is limited to the use of internet technology to attain marketing objectives. E-mail marketing is one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with customers. It is generally cost-effective, and if done properly, can help build brand awareness and loyalty. At a typical cost of only a few rupees per message, it's a bargain compared to traditional direct mail or more . In addition, response rates on e-mail marketing are strong, depending on the industry and format. Response rates for traditional mail averages tend to be very low. One of the benefits of email marketing is the demographic information that customers provide when signing up for your email newsletter. Discovering who your customers really are – age, gender, income and special interests, for example – can help you target your products and services to their needs. Effective marketing, planning and promotion begin with current information about the marketplace. Visit your local library online, talk to customers on toll free through & telemarketing and SMS service as latest development, study the advertising of other businesses in your community, and consult with any relevant industry associations through internet. This interactive tool will help to assess your e-marketing strengths and weaknesses in the demographic area. Online marketing is marketing on the Internet. It is a type of e-marketing, which in turn is a type of e-commerce. Internet marketing is a component of electronic commerce. Internet marketing can include information management, public relations, customer service, and sales. Electronic commerce and Internet marketing have become popular as Internet access is becoming more widely available and used. Well over one third of consumers who have Internet access in their homes report using the Internet to make purchases. Some of the benefits associated with Internet marketing include the availability of information. Consumers can log onto the Internet and learn about products, as well as purchase them, at any hour. Companies that use Internet marketing can also save money because of a reduced need for a sales force. Overall, Internet marketing can help expand from a local market to both national and international marketplaces. Commerce has redefined the marketplace, altered business strategies, and allowed global competition between local businesses. The term â€Å"electronic commerce† has evolved from meaning simply electronic shopping to representing all aspects of business and market processes enabled by the Internet and other digital technologies. Today's business emphasis is on e-commerce – rapid electronic interactions enabled by the Internet and other connected computer and telephone networks. Rapidly business transactions and unparalleled access to information is changing consumer behavior and expectations. Many small businesses assume that the Internet has little value to them because they feel that their product or service cannot be easily sold online. But inexpensive information processing and electronic media can help most small businesses provide better, faster customer service and communication. Why is insurance necessary? The question contains the answer within itself. After all, life is fraught with tensions and apprehensions regarding the future and what it holds for the individual. Despite all the planning and preparation one might make, no one can accurately guarantee or predict how or when death might result and the circumstances that might ensue in its aftermath. We are not saying that life and existence are constantly fraught with danger and uncertainty. But then it is essential that you plan for the future. The chances for a fatality or an injury to occur to the average individual may not be particularly high but then no one can really afford to completely disregard his or her future and what it holds. People generally regard insurance as a scheme when and where you have to lose a lot to gain a little. Nevertheless, insurance is still the most reliable tool an individual can use to plan for his future. What is General insurance? This is an attempt to help understand some basic concepts of general insurance in order to help identify insurance needs and to facilitate decision making process. General Insurance is all about protecting / covering against all kind of insurable risks. General insurance policies, including automobile and homeowners policies, provide payments depending on the loss from a particular financial event. General insurance typically comprises any insurance that is not determined to be life insurance, and is called property and casualty insurance. The reason to provide conceptual knowledge on general insurance products – health insurance, motor insurance, travel insurance – to empower one to take a final decision. We have touched upon topics like why one should insure, how much insurance one need, the policies that suit best, points to ponder while reading the fine print, identify the insurance needs etc are covered. This is a sincere attempt to take one through the basics and to unravel the complexities of general insurance. System whereby individuals and companies concerned about potential hazards pay premiums to an insurance company, which reimburses (in whole or part) them in the event of loss. The insurer profits by investing the premiums it receives. Some common forms of insurance cover business risks, automobiles, homes, boats, worker's compensation, and health. Life insurance guarantees payment to the beneficiaries when the insured person dies. In a broad economic sense, insurance transfers risk from individuals to a larger group, which is better able to pay for losses. IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance (ITGI). ITGI is India’s trusted insurance company. It simplifies customer’s life by providing them tailor made products and quality services, thus helping them take informed investment decisions. It is a joint venture between The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative (IFFCO) and its associates and Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Group, the largest listed insurance group in Japan. ITGI was incorporated on December 4, 2000 and has its head office in Gurgaon, Haryana. We are among India's top three private-sector general insurance companies with 92 offices and a country-wide network of 480 exclusive point of presence. In our constant effort to provide our customers with â€Å"the life they deserve†, we offer a wide range of over 40 uniquely customized policies covering a wide range of customers, from farmers to some of India's largest automobile manufacturers. We see ourselves as a â€Å"people's company†; our principal aim is to provide benefits for the common man who traditionally lacks knowledge and access to quality insurance products. To achieve this, we have leveraged the deep knowledge of IFFCO by studying 600 of the country's 602 districts before drawing up our business plan. We closely follow the rigorous global financial standards of the Millea group, combining sound financial management with rapid growth. ITGI is the only private general insurance company in India to have made five consecutive years of profit. We are also one of the few to report underwriting profits within four years of operations. We also believe in focusing on creative solutions to provide optimum service to our customers. We are the only company in the country to have a 100%-owned distribution channel to service our retail customers. Called IFFCO-TOKIO Insurance Services Ltd (ITIS), this subsidiary has 273 employees and is present in 68 cities. ITIS is an example of an indigenously developed best practice that will be replicated in other Millea Asia subsidiaries. Innovation has also played a significant part in making us a dynamic industry leader both in India and globally. We are the first company in India to underwrite mega policies for a fertilizer and an automobile client. This comprehensive policy is based on international rates and optimizes the premium outflow for clients even as it offers a one-stop, all-risk cover. Our Performance | Profitable growth: Our commitment to innovation and customer service has helped us consistently raise the bar on our performance. We strongly believe in profitable growth: Our rapidly reducing Earned Income Loss Ratio (EILR) is testimony to this |[pic] | ITGI's sound financial management has been achieved in a period of fast-paced growth. Our gross written premium (GWP) has grown from Rs 58 million in 2000-01 to Rs 5 billion in 2004-05. Policy issuance growth has jumped more than 20 times between 2002 and 2004. |[pic] | We have also consistently demonstrated our commitment to shareholder value: return on equity for 2004-05 was 14. 72%, up from 9. 58% the year before. Our unqualified audit reports reflect the rigorous, global standards of accounting. ITGI voluntarily maintains strong institutional checks and balances. An investment committee of board members and senior executives scrutinizes all major investment decisions. An in-house audit committee audits all the branches and suggests ways to improve their functioning. Finally, there is an executive committee of senior management that monitors policy decisions. All these have ensured that ITGI has established a reputation for the highest standards of corporate governance. ‘Customized' satisfaction: Our bi-annual customer satisfaction surveys – another unique feature at ITGI — indicates the speed and fairness in handling policy-holders' claims. This is backed by robust IT infrastructure that is robust enough to handle large volume of more than 3,00,000 documents. All ITGI's branches and distributors are networked. This not only enables a detailed and accurate analysis of the company's performance based on specific parameters, the web-based claim response system has enabled the speedy settlement of claims, achieving a 90% claim settlement ratio Insurance Distribution Channels: Markets in Transition INTRODUCTION :- Risks are inherent in every aspect of life. They are present in whatever we do everyday and all businesses face the threat of losses that may never occur. Worrying about these possibilities hardly makes life pleasant. Of course, it is impossible to eliminate risks – but they can be controlled, lessened or minimized. That is exactly what risk management is all about. We at ITGI have established a proficient risk management team to provide customized, need-based solutions. Armed with a high level of domain knowledge in a wide range of industry verticals, our risk management experts identify and evaluate the risk exposures of your facility or business to provide a comprehensive risk management solution based on your special needs. As a part of our value-added services, we also provide recommendations for loss reduction and risk mitigation and continuously update you about international best practices. ITGI caters to almost all areas of risk management. Below is a list of some of our mainstream services: Underwriting survey/Loss control Survey/Risk management survey Natural hazard risk evaluation Business continuity planning Business interruption and interdependency risk analysis Marine loss control surveys Safety management Risk assessment studies/Safety audits Consequence analysis study. The insurance marketplace is undergoing a transformation that may eventually lead to significant changes in how consumers purchase insurance products. A variety of distribution channels are currently used in this market place, and some insurers utilize a combination of distribution channels. These include the Internet-led channels, company-led channels, bank-led channels, and agent-led channels. Of these distribution channels, the most discussed and anticipated channel is the Internet-led channel. The widespread diffusion of the Internet has created an explosion in the growth of electronic channels, including direct channels as electronic markets, or â€Å"electronic intermediaries over which multiple buyers and sellers do business†, and other cybermediaries . Prior to the advent of the Internet, most purchasers of insurance products used traditional agent-led distribution channels such as direct writers or independent agents. Given its reliance on traditional channels, the insurance marketplace has only recently begun to reflect this broader growth in electronic channels. The Internet was expected to have a major negative impact on the traditional agent-led distribution channel. However, consumers have not shown a marked preference for purchasing insurance product via the Internet. Currently, less than two percent of insurance products are purchased via the Internet. Although less frequently used, company-led distribution channels through mediums such as direct mail or telephone call centers have seen increasing growth. While an agent is still required in this setting, this person typically does not meet with the insured. With the passage of the Financial Modernization Act of 1999, growth of the bank-led channel was predicted for the U. S. market. The results of a recent American Bank Insurance Association survey indicate that insurance represents a very small percentage of total bank revenue, but bankers predict an increase in marketing efforts. While it is true that insurance purchasers today have more options available than they did five years ago, it is unclear if and when these channels will dominate existing insurance distribution channels. Several obvious factors that impact on a channel’s adoption are consumer. . Insurance Distribution Channels: Markets in Transition Attitudes and preferences. In particular, it may be that consumers consider insurance products to be more complex than originally thought. Consumers still do not view even personal lines insurance products to be commodity products. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the transitions that are occurring in property/liabil ity insurance distribution channels. As part of this discussion, we describe some of the factors that are impacting on the adoption of alternative channels (e. g. the Internet), provide an overview of the academic literature on innovation adoption and insurance distribution channels, and comment on the near-term future for insurance distribution channels. EXPECTATIONS V. REALITY The growth of the Internet has led to a great deal of speculation and discussion regarding its potential impact on traditional distribution channels. For example, the meeting topic for the 2000 International Insurance Society meeting was â€Å"The Power of Leadership in the Knowledge Millennium. † Part of the focus of the presentations at that meeting was on the changing channels of distribution. Some trade publications during that time period included articles suggesting that insurance agents were faced with the strong possibility of being replaced with a more efficient and less-costly Internet-led distribution channel. The same was true for travel agents during that time period. Interestingly, the experience of insurance agents and travel agents has been very different. The travel industry has indeed seen a growth of the Internet-led distribution channel for a wide variety of travel-related purchases including plane tickets, hotel reservations, and car rentals. Examples of cybermarkets operating today include Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz. Additionally, sites like Priceline. com allow consumers to make offers for various travel services including airline travel. Other sites, like SkyAuction. com, create an auction market for travel services. Finally, consumers can purchase tickets online directly from airlines. As the Internet-led channel has grown for travel-related types of services, travel agents have come under increasing pressure and airlines have reduced the commissions paid to travel agents. In some cases, the agents are no longer compensated by the airlines to serve as a channel intermediary. For example, Delta Airlines recently announced that it would no longer pay commissions to travel agents. 2 Insurance Distribution Channels: Markets in Transition The experience of insurance agents has been much different. Recent figures suggest that online sales accounts for less than 2% of total premium volume. Although there have been some changes in the areas of commissions and production requirements, agents continue to be the primary distribution channel for insurance products. A recent National Underwriter article reported the results of a survey of four insurance industry associations (the National Association of Independent Insurers, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, the American Insurance Association, and the Alliance of American Insurers). All four of these associations indicated an expectation that the traditional agent-led distribution channel will continue to be a major distribution channel for insurers. While the adoption rate of the Internet as a distribution channel has been low, we have seen widespread adoption of the Internet as a support channel. Insurers are using the Internet to provide general information on financial services products (e. g. , insurance, investments) and planning involving the use of these products, to provide specific information on the company and its product lines, to provide administrative support to its policyholders, and to serve as a prospecting and communication tool for its agent-led channel. For example, Celent Communications surveyed major U. S. property/liability insurers regarding Internet usage. The six main usage areas were (1) agent access to quotes, (2) agent extranet, (3) policyholder account access, (4) customer live quotes, (5) customer quote request, and (6) agent locator. Of these six, the two most frequently used were the agent locator (over 60%) and the agent extranet (approximately 40%). These results clearly indicate that for property/liability insurers, the web is being used as an information or communication tool, as well as a prospecting tool for insurers’ agents. INNOVATION ADOPTION To gain a better understanding of what factors tend to drive the adoption of one channel over another, it is helpful to examine some of the existing literature on innovation adoption and insurance distribution channels. The Internet Channel One factor that leads to the adoption of an innovation is how widespread it is. Rogers (1995) suggests that widespread diffusion of an innovation will lead to significant changes in the enviorment. 3 Insurance Distribution Channels: Markets in Transition As noted above, we have seen widespread diffusion of the usage of the Internet in both the travel and insurance industries; however, the adoption patterns have been quite different. The ability to reduce the transactions costs of interaction between buyers and sellers has always been acknowledged as a central motivation for the use of the web . Predictions of disintermediation and cybermediation are typically based on the reduced transaction costs of electronic interaction between sellers and buyers; for example, in book retailing or online stock trading. Trust is another factor that drives or affects the adoption of the Internet-led channel and others examined privacy and security as it relates to choosing an Internet channel. The widespread popularity of online stores or online auctions provides some indication that consumers trust the channel sufficiently to provide personal and financial information via a secure part of the channel. Additionally, secure support channels like Paypal have been created to provide secure payment channels for purchases. Technological improvements alone cannot safeguard a company's digital risks. Whether managing the risk of a computer virus, electronic theft of confidential information or the loss of business interruption due to a computer attack, a Total Risk Management Approach is required which combines best in class technology, risk information and insurance. MOTOR INSURANCE INTRODUCTION: Speed has become the essence of life in the present day economic and social conditions. Every body wants everything fast enough to enjoy the fruits of any labour which has been put in. In this labour man is being replaced by machine in almost all spheres of activity. The latest is Computer trying to replace the human brain. Though it is impossible to achieve the speed of thought, the human efforts will always endeavor to achieve that speed. When we talk of speed, Motor Vehicle is perhaps or sure enough, a tool used by majority of human beings in every walk of life as aid, either to transport himself or to transport material useful for his existence. As a means of transport, Motor vehicle is of immense importance in respect of both the human amenities and the commerce. The number of vehicles on the road has been on increase and it is quite likely that it may over-flow the capacity of the road and parking places. Many vehicles are required to be kept in the streets at night and thus are exposed to various risks from human elements as well as natural elements. The number of persons holding driving license is increasing and the employers with all the care they may take in choosing a good driver. Do get reckless driver on their pay roll which fact comes to the knowledge only when a serious accident, sometimes involving loss of life happens, and are thus exposed to risks. MOTOR INSURANCE CONTRACTS Motor Insurance Contracts are subject to the basic principles applicable to property and liability insurance in general, These principles are- ) Utmost good faith: Contracts of Motor Insurance are governed by the doctrine of utmost good faith. The doctrine imposes a legal obligation on the proposer to disclose material facts to the Insurers. The use of proposal forms is compulsory and the declaration clause in the form converts the common law duty into a contractual duty of utmost good faith. The effect of this is that the answers given in the proposal become warranties. The answers are required to be literally true and correct. Any wrong answer, irrespective of its materiality, will render the contract violable by Insurers. ) Insurable Interest: This is the legal right to insure. The essentials of insurable interest are- i) the existence of property exposed to loss, damage or a potential liability: ii) such property or liability must be the subject matter of insurance: iii) such property or liability must be the subject matter of the property or creation of liability and must benefit by the preservation of the property or the absence of liability. 3) Indemnity: Insurance contract are contracts of indemnity that is to say, the insured is placed after a loss, as far as possible, in the same position as he was immediately before the loss. This principle ensures that the Insured does not make a profit out of his loss. 4) Subrogation & Contribution: Subrogation is the transfer of rights from the insured to the insurer when the loss or damage to the vehicle is caused by negligence of another person. The Insurers exercise these rights to recover the loss from the person responsible. Under common law subrogation operates only after the claim is paid. A Policy condition, however, provides for subrogation before the payment of the claim. Contribution arises when there is double insurance, that is, when the same vehicle is insured under two policies. According to Policy condition the loss is shared pro-rata between the two insurers. The Contribution condition is specially worded in private car policies because the owner is also covered for Third Party liability while driving cars not belonging to him. Proximate Cause: The doctrine of proximate cause applies to Motor insurance as to other classes of insurance. The loss or damage to the vehicle is indemnified only if it is proximately caused by one of the insured perils. The doctrine also applies to Third Party claims. The Third party injury or property damage must be proximately caused by the negligence of the insured for which he is held legally liable to pay damages. TYPES OF MOTOR VEHICLES: A Motor Vehicle has been defined in the Motor Vehicle Act, 1939 as a mechanically propelled vehicle adopted for use upon road where the power of propulsion is transmitted thereto from an external or internal source and includes a chassis to which a body has not been attached and a trailer but does not include a vehicle running upon fixed rails. For purpose of insurance, Motor vehicles are classified into 3 broad categories, viz ) Private Cars 2) Motor Cycles and Scooter 3) Commercial Vehicles. PRIVATE CARS: These are – a) vehicles used solely for social, domestic and pleasure purposes; b) Cars of private type including station wagons, used for social, domestic and pleasure purposes and for the business or professional purposes(excluding the carriage of goods other than samples) of the insured or used by the Insured’s employees for such purposes, c) Three wheeled cars (including cabin scooter used for private purposes) MOTOR CYCLES: a) Motor cycles (with or without sidecars) b) Auto cycles or mechanically assisted pedal cycles. ) Motor Scooters (with or without sidecars) d) A three-wheeler invalid carriage. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES: A) Goods carrying vehicles (own goods). These are vehicles used under a Private Carrier’s permit within the meaning of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939. The Act defines a â€Å"Private Carrier† as â€Å"an owner of a transport vehicle other than a public carrier who uses the vehicles solely for the carriage of goods which are his property or the carriage of which is necessary for the purpose of his business not being a business of providing transport† GOODS CARRYING VEHICLES (General cartage). These are vehicles used under a Public Carrier Permit within the meaning of the M. V. Act. 1939. The Act defines a ‘public carrier’ as an owner of a transport vehicle who transports or undertakes to transport goods or any class of goods, for another person at any time and in any public place for hire or reward, whether in pursuance of the terms of a contract or agreement or otherwise. TRAILERS: Any truck, cart carriage or other vehicle without means of self-propulsion including agricultural implements drawn or hauled by any self – propelled vehicle. PASSENGER CARRYING VEHICLES: I) Buses including tourist buses: ii) Hotel/School omnibuses. iii) Air-line buses PASSENGER CARRYING VEHICLES FOR HIRE: i) Taxis or Private car type vehicles plying for public hire ii) Private type Taxis let out on private hire direct from the Owner with or without meters and driven by the Owner or an employee of the Owner. iii) Private car type vehicles let out on Private Hire and driven by the Hirer or any driver with his permission. iv) Private car type vehicles owned by Hotels and hired by them to their guests. v)passenger carrying vehicles (Motorized Rickshaws). MISCELLANEOUS AND SPECIAL TYPES OF VEHICLES† Category ‘D’ 1) Agricultural Tractors Pedestrian Controlled. 2) Trailer fitted as Cinema Film Recording and publicity vans. 3) Delivery Truck – Pedestrian Controlled. 4) Trailers- Duest carts, water carts, etc . 5) Trailers – Fire Brigade and Salvage Corps. 6) Plan Loader. 7) Trailers- Mobile Plant. 8) Trailers fitted as Mobile Shop and Canteen . 9) Trailers – Tar spraying. 10) Trailers- Clearing and Levelling plant. 11) Traction Engine Tractors: Agriculural and Forestry spraying plant i) Agricultural sprayer. i) Tar sprayers 12. Trailers towed by Tractors. 13) Lawn Mowers. 14) Cranes- Trailers and Tractors fitted with Lift apparatus. 15) Hearses 16) Ambulances. 17) Breakdown vehicles 18) Cinema film recording and publicity vans. 19) Dispensaries. 20) Dampers. 21) Dust carts, water carts, road sweepers, etc. 22) Electric Trolleys or Tractors. 23) Fire Brigade and Salvage corps. Vehicles. 24) Footpath rollers. 25) Fork lift Trucks. 26). Mobile shops & Canteen Vehicles. 27) Mobile Surgeries & Dispensaries. 28) Refuse Carts. 29) Road Rollers Road Sprinklers also used as Fire Fighting vehicles. 30) Traction Engine Tractors- Tractors used with one or more Angle Dozers, bulldozers etc. 31) Cranes I) Breakdown vehicles. II) Goods carrying vehicles. 32) Excavators. 33) Levelers 34) Site clearing and leveling plant etc. TYPES OF POLICIES: The vehicles mentioned above can be insured under three types of policies:- Act† only policy: This policy provides the minimum cover for legal liability for injuries to third parties or their property damage, as required by the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939. Third Party Policy: This Policy provides the cover as under the â€Å"Act† only policy and in addition provides cover for higher limits for third party property damage. Comprehensive Policy: This policy provides cover as under a Third Party Policy and in addition provides cover for loss or or damage to the vehicle. Two other variations of cover are available for certain categories of vehicles( e. g. Private Cars) Fire and/or Theft Risk- These policies cover the risks of fire and or theft while the car is in garage and out of use. Third party and Fire and/or Theft Risks: The Third party policy is extended to cover the risks of fire and/ or theft whilst the vehicle is running and or /in garage. EXEMPTED VEHICLES: The Provisions relating to compulsory third party insurance do not apply to any vehicle owned by the Central Government or State Government and used for Government purposes unconnected with any commercial enterprise. Exemptions may also be granted by the appropriate Government for any vehicle owned by:- a) the Central Government or a State Government if the vehicle is used for Government purposes connected with any commercial enterprise. ) any local authority; c) any State Transport Undertaking( for example, where such undertaking is carried on by a State Government or any Road Transport Corporation established under the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950). The above exemption is made only if a fund is established and maintained by that authority for meeting any liability arising out of the use of an y vehicle. The fund has to be established in accordance with the Rules framed under the Act. Types of Motor Insurance Covers: There are two types of cover granted under Motor Insurance. Policy â€Å"A† provides Liability Cover and Policy â€Å"B† provides Comprehensive cover. Third Party Policy has been withdrawn from 1st April 1990. 1) Policy â€Å"A† – Act Liability Policy provides an indemnity in respect of legal liability for death or bodily injury to members of public or damage to their property, compulsorily insurable under the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Limits of Liability :- Under Section-II- (i) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. As per Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 ( The Act provides for unlimited liability in respect of third party death or bodily injury). Under Section-II- (ii) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Rs. 6,000/- in respect of any one claim or series of claims arising out of one event. (This is the limit provided by the Act for third party property damage. The tariff however provides for increased limits up to unlimited liability for T. P. property damage, at additional premium). b) Policy â€Å"B† – Comprehensive Policy is wider cover. In addition to covering the insured’s legal liabilities to third party, both for bodily injury and damage to property, this policy covers loss or damage to the vehicle- &/or theft of vehicle and/or accessories whilst fitted thereon – ) by fire, explosion, self-ignition or lightening; b) by burglary, housebreaking or theft; c) by riot and strike; d) by earthquake (fire and shock damage); e) by flood, typhoon, hurricane, storm, tempest, inundation, cyclone, hailstorm, frost; f) by accidental external means; g) by terrorist activity; h) whilst in transit by road, rail, inland waterway, lift, elevator or air; i) by landslide / rockslide The Recital clause of both form of policies states- (i) that the proposal and declaration shall be the basis of the contract of insurance and are deemed to be incorporated therein. ii) that the insured has applied to the company for insurance and has paid or agreed to pay the premium as consideration for the insurance afforded by the policy for the period specified. The contract is not to â€Å"pay† the loss to the insured but to â€Å"indemnify† him against his loss. Protection and Removal Costs: If the motor car is disabled by reason of loss or damage covered under the policy, the insurer will bear reasonable cost of protection and removal to the nearest repairers and of redelivery to the insured but not exceeding in all Rs. 1,500/- in respect of any accident. Authorization for Repair The insured may authorize repairs necessitated by damage covered under the policy, provided that:- (a) the estimated cost of such repairs does not exceed Rs. 500/- (b) the insurer is furnished forthwith a detailed estimate of the cost, and (c) the insured gives the insurer every assistance to see that such repair is necessary and the charge reasonable. Exclusion under â€Å"own damage† Section I – FOR PRIVATE CAR ‘B’ POLICY (a) consequential loss, depreciation, wear and tear, mechanical or electrical breakdown , failures and breakage; and b) damage to tyres unless the motor car is damaged at the same time when the liability of the insurer is limited to 50% of the cost of replacement; (c) any accidental loss or damage suffered whilst the insured or any person driving with the knowledge and consent of the insured is under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs. FOR ONLINE RENEWAL INTIMATION OF POLICY . ONLINE RENEWAL NOTICE SEN T TO CLIENT CLIENT AGENT DETAILS NAME SUB: RENEWAL OF POLICY NO:____________ PREMIUM DETAILS SUM INSURED VEHICLE DETAILS GROSS PREM. S. TAX NET PAYABLE PREM. HYPOTHECATION ( IF ANY ) AUTHORISED SIGNATORY FIRE INSURANCE GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS: These rules and regulations are applicable to all sections of the Tariff. POLICY Only Standard Fire and Special Perils Policy (hereinafter referred to as Policy) with the permitted â€Å"Add-on† covers (as appearing under Section VIII) if any, can be issued. Note: – Unless otherwise specifically provided for, this tariff is applicable to land-based properties only. The wording of the policy shall be as shown in Section II of the Tariff. Policy (ies) should be read together with proposal forms(s), scheduled specification, endorsements, warranties and clauses as one contract. Policy (ies) covering Buildings and/or contents shall show block wise separate amounts on (i) Building (ii) Machinery and accessories (iii) Stock and Stock-in-Process and (iv) Furniture and other contents. It is permissible to exclude Storm, Tempest, Flood and Inundation group of perils (hereinafter referred to as STFI) and/or Riot, Strike, Malicious Damage perils (hereinafter referred to as RSMD) at inception of the Policy only by deleting the relevant perils from the Policy. The deletion shall apply for the entire property in one complex/compound/location covering the entire interest of the Insured under one or more policy (ies) without any option for selection. Reduction in premium rates for such deletion(s) may be allowed as shown under the relevant sections of the Tariff. When these perils are deleted from the scope of the policy, the general exclusions shall include these perils. Terrorism cover will be separate cover which can be granted only in conjunction with RSMD. Terrorism will not be given in isolation without RSMD cover. (Circular No. FT/1/2002 dtd 13/03/02) Any risk, which has not been provided for in the Tariff, shall be referred to the Committee for rating. Provisional rate of Rs. 2. 50 per mille shall be charged in such cases for covering the risks under Standard Fire and Special Perils Policy. No discounts and/or agency commission shall be allowed on this rate. For add-on covers, additional rates provided in section VIII shall be charged. Rates shown under this tariff are minimum rates. Insures may charge rate higher than those given under the tariff. VALUED POLICY(IES) Valued Policy (ies) can be issued only for properties whose Market Value cannot be ascertained e. . Curios, Works of Art, Manuscripts, Obsolete machinery and the like subject to the valuation certificate being submitted and found acceptable by the insurers. LONG TERM POLICIES Policies for a period exceeding 12 months shall not be issued except for â€Å"Dwellings†. MID-TERM COVER Generally, it is not permissible to grant mid-term cover for STFI and/or RSMD per ils. The following provisions shall apply, where such covers are granted midterm: Insurers must receive specific advice from the insured accompanied by payment of the required additional premium in cash or by draft. This additional premium shall not be adjusted against existing Cash deposits or debited to Bank guarantee. Mid-term cover shall be granted for the entire property at one complex/compound/location covering the entire interest of the Insured under one or more policy (ies). Insured shall not have any option for selection. Cover shall commence 15 days after the receipt of the premium. NB: Endorsement to be issued in this regard The premium rates as under shall be charged on short period scale (as per Rule 8) on full sum insured at one complex/compound/location covering the entire interest of the insured for the balance period i. . up to the expiry of the policy. |MID-TERM |SECTION III |SECTION VI |SECTION IV, V AND VII | |INCLUSION OF | | | | | | |Materials in Godowns|Materials in Open | | | | | | | | |STFI |0. 20%o |0. 35%o |2. 00%o |0. 5%o | | | | | | | |RSMD |0. 15%o |0. 15%o |0. 15%o |0. 15%o | PAYMENT OF PREMIUM Premium shall be paid in full and shall not be accepted in instalments or by deferred payments in any form. N. B. :- It is not permissible to split sum insured of the same property under various policies for different periods of insurance to derive advantage of deferred instalments for payment of premium. Notwithstanding the above, different policies may be issued for stocks where circumstances necessitate issuance of such policies. MINIMUM PREMIUM Minimum premium shall be Rs. 100/- per policy except for risks rateable under Section III and ‘Tiny Sector Industries’ under Section IV where the minimum premium shall be Rs. 50/ per policy. PARTIAL INSURANCE It is not permissible To issue a policy covering only certain portions of a building. Notwithstanding this, the plinth and foundations or only the foundation of a building may be excluded. To issue a policy covering only specified machinery (except Boilers), parts of machine or accessories thereof housed in the same block/building. N. B. Where portions of a building and/or machinery therein are under different ownership; it is permissible for each owner to insure separately but to the full extent of his interest on the building and/or machinery therein. In such cases, the Insured’s interest shall be clearly defined in the policy. RATES FOR SHORT PERIOD INSURANCE Policies for a period of less than 12 months shall be issued at the rates set out hereunder: For period not exceeding |15 days |10% of the Annual rate | |-do- |1 month |15% of the Annual rate | |-do- |2 months |30% of the Annual rate | |-do- |3 months |40% of the Annual rate | |-do- |4 months |50% of the Annual rate | |-do- |5 months |60% of the Annual rate | |-do- |6 months |70% of the Annual rate | |-do- |7 months |75% of the Annual rate | |-do- |8 months |80% of the Annual rate | |-do- |9 months |85% of the Annual rate | |For a period exceeding |9 months |The full Annual rate | |N. B. : Extension of short period policy (ies) shall not be permitted. | LOADING FOR â€Å"KUTCHA† CONSTRUCTION Building(s) having walls and/or roofs of wooden planks/thatched leaves and/or grass/hay of any kind/bamboo/plastic cloth/asphalt cloth/canvas/tarpaulin and the like shall be treated as ‘Kutcha’ construction for rating. An additional rate of Rs. 4. 00%o shall be charged for such building(s) and/or contents thereof. Note: – Temporary sheds (attached to buildings) erected during the monsoon solely for the purpose of monsoon protection are permitted without loading provided such sheds are not used for storage purpose. RULES FOR CANCELLATIONS For Cancellation of insurance policy. At the option of the insured:- 10. 1. Retention of premium shall be at Short Period Scale for the period the policy has been in force, subject to the retention of minimum premium by the Insurer. 10. 1. 2 During the currency, if a policy is replaced with the same insurer by a new annual one covering the identical property, refund of premium may be a llowed on pro-rata basis at the original rates for the sum insured replaced. 10. 1. 3 For the sum insured not replaced, refund must be calculated after charging premium at short period scale on such sum for the time the insurance has been in force subject to retention of the minimum premium by the insurer. 10. 1. 4 In case of short period policies, premium shall be retained at the applicable short period scale. N. B. – In case a policy is cancelled on account of a Government Order or on completion of a â€Å"Building in course of construction† or where Buildings are demolished, pro-rata refund of premium may be allowed. At the option of the insurer:- Refund of premium shall be on pro-rate basis for the unexpired term. MID-TERM REVISION IN SUM INSURED: Mid-term revision in sum insured shall be allowed as follows: Increase in sum insured: On pro-rata basis Decrease in sum insured: On short-period scale. ESCALATION CLAUSE: It will be in order for Insurers to allow automat ic regular increase in the Sum Insured throughout the period of the policy in return for an additional premium to be paid in advance. The terms and conditions for this extension shall be as follows. The selected percentage increase shall not exceed 25% of the Sum Insured. The additional premium, payable tin advance, will be at 50% of the full rate, to be charged on the selected percentage increase. The Sum Insured at any point of time would be assessed after application of the Escalation Clause. Escalation Clause will apply to policies covering Building, Machinery and Accessories only and will not apply to policies covering stock. Escalation Clause will apply to all policies and is not restricted to policies issued on reinstatement value basis. Pro-rata condition of Average will continue to apply as usual. The automatic increase operates from the date of inception up to the date of operation of any of the Insured Perils. Note: – For ndorsement wording, see, Clause F, Annexure A. FLOATER POLICY Floater Policy (ies) can be issued for stocks at various locations under one Sum Insured (The Standard Floater Clause I, Annexure A shall be attached to such policies). Note: – Unspecified location shall not be allowed. Rating: The rate shall be th e highest rate applicable to insured’s stocks at any location with a loading of 10%. N. B. 1: In case Stocks in a process block are covered under the Floater Policy and the rate for process block is higher than the storage rate, the process rate plus 10% loading shall apply. N. B. 2: Presence of â€Å"Kutcha† construction may be ignored. N. B. : If stocks situated within godown/process blocks in the same compound are covered under floater policy, no floater extra is chargeable. DECLARATION POLICIES To take care of frequent fluctuations in stocks/stock values, Declaration Policy(ies) can be granted subject to the following conditions (Standard Declaration Clause J, Annexure A shall be attached to such policies, refer page no:97): The minimum sum insured shall be Rs 1 Crore in one or more locations and the sum insured shall not be less than Rs. 25 lakhs in at least one of these locations. It is necessary that the declared values should approximate to this figure at somet ime during the policy year. Monthly declarations based on a) the average of the values at risk on each day of the month or b) the highest value at risk during the month shall be submitted by the Insured latest by the last day of the succeeding month. If declarations are not received within the specified period, the full sum insured under the policy shall be deemed to have been declared. Reduction in sum insured shall not be allowed under any circumstances. Refund of premium on adjustment based on the declaration/cancellation shall not exceed 50% of the total premium. In case the total sum insured at the risk including 50% of the declared sum insured for declaration policy exceeds Rs. 50crs, the risk will qualify for claim experience discount / loading. (Letter no. Fire/453[591] dtd 23/05/01) The basis of value for declaration shall be the Market Value anterior to the loss. It is not permissible to issue declaration policy in respect of Insurance required for a short period. Stocks undergoing process. Stocks at Railway sidings. If after occurrence of any loss it is found that the amount of last declaration previous to the loss is less than the amount that ought to have been declared, then the amount which would have been recoverable by the insured shall be reduced in such proportion as the amount of said last declaration bears to the amount that ought to have been declared. FLOATER DECLARATION POLICIES 1. Floater Declaration Policy (ies) can be issued subject to a minimum sum insured of Rs 2 Crores and compliance with the Rules for Floater and Declaration Policies respectively except that the minimum retention shall be 80% of the annual premium. 2. Special rates under Floater Declaration policy granted for the stocks of Central Warehousing/ State Warehousing Corporation and Marketing Federation owned by State Govt. (Circular No. FT/4/2001 dtd 09/02/01) |a) |Standard Fire and Special Perils policy with the deletion of STFI and RSMD perils. |1. 25%o | |b) |Standard Fire and Special Perils policy with the deletion of STFI perils only. |1. 50%o | |c) |Standard Fire and Special Perils policy with the deletion of RSMD perils only. |2. 00%o | |d) |Standard Fire and Special Perils policy. |2. 5%o | 3. Coverage in respect of cover under single policy (floater Declaration policy) for stocks belonging to M/s Central warehouses Corporation lying in General Warehouses, container Fright Stations an d bonded Warehouses. Under insurance up to 15 should be ignored. However if the same exceeds 15% at any time the actual under- insurance should be taken into account for arriving at loss. The insured declare the values quarterly or half yearly or yearly basis within 90 days of the expiry of such periods subject to the consent of the Insurer. Special rates granted vide circular no. FT/4/2001should be applied. (Circular No. FT/9/2001 dtd 27/03/01) Earthquake rating under Floater policy – To compute the base rate by adding the rate for highest Earthquake zone involved to the highest rate otherwise applicable as per tariff provision before applying 10% loading to the same to arrive at premium rate applicable for floater policies covering Earthquake Peril. (Letter No. Fire / 14[1004] dtd 30/07/01). CLAIMS EXPERIENCE DISCOUNT/LOADING Risks having sum insured (on buildings and contents of all blocks in one compound of one complex in one location) above Rs. 50 Crores rateable under Sectio IV, V, VI &VII of this tariff shall attract claims experience discounts/loadings based on the incurred claims experience of all the policies covering the Insured’s interest for the preceding 36 months excluding the expiring policy period. (If there is any break in insurance, available 36 months experience shall be taken into account) as per the table given below. Incurred claim ratio for the preceding 36 months excluding |Discount |Lo ading | |the expiring policy period |(%) |(%) * | |Up to 5% |15 |- | |Above 5% & up to 10% |10 |- | |Above 10% & up to 15% |5 |- | |Above 15% & up to 30% |- |- | |Above 30% & up to 40% |- |2. | |Above 40% & up to 55% |- |5 | |Above 55% & up to 75% |- |10 | |Above 75% & up to 100% |- |15 | |Above 100% |- |To be referred to TAC | * On renewal of business either by an existing insurer or by a new insurer, a provisional loading of 15% must be charged in all cases where certified details of claims experience by respective insurers are not available. This loading shall be adjusted subsequently on receipt of the exact claims experience. NB: No claim experience discount to be allowed for (i) Silent risk (ii) Floater policy FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPLIANCES DISCOUNT The discounts as per the scale given below may be granted by the Insurers to detached or segregated (as per the Committees Building Regulations) blocks of the risks protected by Fire Extinguishing appliances rateable under Section III, IV, V, VI and VII of the Tariff [except for Floater and/or Floater Declaration Policy(ies)] subject to the following: System is erected and tested as per the relevant Regulations of the TAC and a certificate from LPA or TAC accredited Professional(s)/Professional agency (ies) confirming the efficacy of the system and its full compliance with the Committee’s rules is submitted by the Insured. Note: – Professional(s)/Professional Agency (ies) designing and/or installing the system themselves shall get the system certified by third parties. Pending accreditation of Professionals/Professional Agencies by TAC, Chairman IRDA/TAC, has approved that insurance companies can select Professionals /Professional Agencies satisfying the following norms, to certify FEA. Installation: For Professionals: a. Should be Graduate Engineer with 5 years experience in the Fire Protection field or Diploma Engineer with 10 years related experience. b. Should have handled at least 3 projects for which proposals submitted were approved and full discounts granted for the Fire Protection systems by T AC or Insurance Companies. Information in this connection should be provided to the Insurance Company in the following format: LIST OF PROJECTS HANDLED |Sr. No |Risk Name |Type of Fire Protection |Year of execution |Quantum of discount |Reference of letter(s) | | | |provided | |sanctioned by the Competent |advising such discount | | | | | |Authority | | | | | | | | | Note: Relevant documents (work order/job order/completion certificate) to be attached for verification by the insurance company. c. Expertise should be indicated in specific areas of Fire Protection (Hydrant/Sprinkler/Water spray system etc. ) For Professional Agencies: – a. Should have one or more professionals with requirements of 3 a), b) and c) above. b. The professional agency should be financially sound. Audited financial statements to be submitted for verification by the insurance company. General: (Applicable to both Professionals/Professional Agencies) 1. Selection of professionals/professional agency to be done only at the corporate office of, the insurance company. 2. Professionals/Professional agencies will not certify any installation in, which they are involved as suppliers, erectors, contractors or consultants. Insurers may be guided by the above-mentioned instructions. (Circular no. FT/4/2002 dtd 10/05/02) The installation is maintained in an efficient working order at all times and an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) with an external agency is in force. Note:- Any agency other than the one involved in the installation of the system or a third party having up to date knowledge of maintenance of fire fighting equipment can be approached for AMC. | |Type of installation |Discount (%) | |(a) |Hand Appliance & Trailer Pumps/Fire Engines |2. | |(b) |Hand Appliances & Hydrant System |5 | |(c) |Hand Appliances & independent Sprinkler/Fixed Water Spray System |7. 5 | |(d) |Hand Appliances +Hydrant System & independent Sprinkler/Fixed Water Spray |10 | | |System | | RATING OF RISKS IN MULTIPLE OCCUPANCY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE Risks in Multiple Occupancy I ndustrial Estate shall be rated ‘Per se’. If the entire building of the Industrial Estate is insured under one sum insured, a rate of Rs. 1. 80%o shall be chargeable to ‘building’. 19. SILENT RISK Risks rateable under Sectio IV and V are allowed silent rates as per the following table |Factories where no manufacturing/storage activities are carried |Retention of the premium shall be based on the | |out continuously for 30 days or more. |appropriate storage rate or silent risk rate of | | |Re. 1. 00%o whichever is higher. | The silent rates are not applicable if a risk goes silent following a loss under the policy. Note 1: – Risks becoming silent shall not be entitled to any discounts. Note 2: STFI/ RSMD deletion is available for â€Å"Silent risk†. 20. Voluntary Deductibles On

Education of women Essay

Daniel Defoe’s essay entitled â€Å"The Education of Women† was written to emphasis the value of education for women should be more than what is was. In para- graph 1 â€Å"†¦ us a civilized and a Christian country† Defoe’s target audience was for men and for those who follow the church and God. Eng- land at this time was dominantly of Christian faith and in this essay Defoe advocates more of God’s will rather than his own to establish his own credibility and moral high ground and Defoe is able to do this by raising this issue in the minds of his Christian  readership. Although there may not be too much weight behind his view on why women needed to be educated, with referencing God throughout the essay it becomes an effective reading with his target audience. He starts with his opinion then refers to God in the next sentence. This is a regular theme from start to finish and this captures his reader’s interest early on. Defoe included this rhetorical sentences in this essay and in paragraph 3 Defoe writes â€Å"the soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the  luster of it will never appear†. His analogy is that if you don’t polish the diamond (women and educating) then they will never shine. In paragraph 3 he uses the term God in his next sentence. â€Å"If knowledge and understanding had been useless additions to the 1 Yorke sex, God Almighty would never have given them capacities; for he made nothing needless. † He states that God made women capable of learning and that none of God’s creation is unnecessary. Defoe believes women should be educated and educating them they would simply  become better wives and companions for men. As an example of this is in paragraph 5, he does not suggest learning practical subjects such as math and science but instead, he says that they should be taught† â€Å"†¦ in particular, Music and Dancing; which it would be cruelty to bar the sex of, because they are their darlings. But besides this, they should be taught languages† He also adds that they should read history books to be more ‘cultured’ so that they can â€Å".. understand the world, and to be able to know and judge of things when  they hear of them. † Defoe’s argument is that women as an equal. In paragraph 7 he writes â€Å"Women, in my observation, have little or no difference in them, but as they are or are not distin- guished by education. † Defoe summarizes in the last paragraph with this rhetorical sentence â€Å"I refer the Practice to those Happy Days (if ever they shall be) when men shall be wise enough to mend it. † Defoe implies that if man can change his views on education for women, then a woman would be educated will be seen as an equal amongst men.