Insurance Laws for Surveyors: S-01 Chapters 8 and 9
Which law creates the job, which one sets the duties, and which ones a disputed claim ends up in.
Two S-01 chapters deal with law: chapter 8, Laws Relating to Insurance Business, and chapter 9, Other Laws Relevant to Insurance Business. You do not need to quote sections like a lawyer. You need to know which law gives you your role, which one sets your duties, and which ones your report may end up being read under.
The short version: the Insurance Act creates the surveyor's role, the IRDAI Act creates the regulator, the Surveyors Regulations set the rules of the job, and a handful of general laws decide disputes and business structure.
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The Laws a Surveyor Works Under
| Law | What it does for a surveyor |
|---|---|
| Insurance Act, 1938 | Section 64UM is the surveyor section. Sections 42D, 42E and 64UM, with the rule-making power in section 114A, are the powers IRDAI cites when it makes the Surveyors Regulations |
| IRDA Act, 1999 | Creates IRDAI. Sections 14 and 26 are also cited as the source of its power to regulate surveyors |
| Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015 | Brought surveyors and loss assessors into the definition of intermediary, which is why the 2015 Regulations were rewritten |
| IRDAI (Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors) Regulations, 2015, amended 2020 | Licensing by department, eligibility, duties (regulation 13), code of conduct (regulation 16), student members (regulation 17), insurer reporting (regulation 21) |
| Companies Act, 2013 and LLP Act, 2008 | A corporate surveyor must be a company or an LLP. Partnership firms licensed before the 2020 amendment may continue. The Companies Act also defines "relative" for the interest declaration |
| Consumer Protection Act, 2019 | Policyholders can take an insurance dispute to the district, state or national consumer commission |
| Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017 | A low-cost forum where a policyholder can challenge a partial or full repudiation, often built on a survey report |
What the Regulations Make You Do
Duties listed in regulation 13, in roughly the order they arise on a claim.
- 1
Declare any interest
Say whether you, a relative, a business partner or a material shareholding is connected with the subject matter.
- 2
Inspect and investigate
Inspect and re-inspect the damaged property; examine the cause, circumstances, extent of loss, ownership and insurable interest.
- 3
Survey and quantify
Carry out spot and final surveys as needed, measure the loss, and comment on franchise, excess and under-insurance.
- 4
Advise
Advise both insurer and insured on loss minimisation, loss control, security and safety.
- 5
Comment on admissibility
Comment on whether the claim is admissible and assess the insurer's liability under the policy terms. Give reasons where the claim is not covered.
- 6
Finish the details
Recommend depreciation and its quantum, comment on salvage and its disposal, take expert opinion where needed, and keep the matter confidential and neutral.
Code of Conduct Points the Paper Likes
- checkAccept no direct or indirect benefit beyond the fee agreed for the survey (regulation 16(3A), added in 2020).
- checkIn a corporate surveyor, a survey done by an employee is signed by the employee and countersigned by a director or partner.
- checkA licensed surveyor who is a director or partner of a corporate surveyor issues reports only in that capacity.
- checkThe insurer must enquire into a reported breach of the code and report proven cases to IRDAI.
- checkInsurers and corporate surveyors must make sure interim and final surveys are done by licensed surveyors.
- checkA student member (trainee) must not take up any survey or issue any survey report without a licence.
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The Insurer's Side of the Rules
Regulation 21 puts duties on insurers too. Every insurer needs a Board-approved surveyor management policy covering empanelment, use of surveyors and allotment of survey jobs. It must monitor surveyors for quality, timelines and conduct, and file an annual report on surveyor misconduct with IRDAI.
This is why the paper sometimes asks "who must have a surveyor management policy?". The answer is the insurer, not the surveyor or IIISLA.
The Law Has Moved Since the 2023 Course
The IC S01 course is the 2023 edition. Parliament cleared the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill in December 2025, and IRDAI amends its regulations from time to time. Learn the course's version for the exam, and check the current text on irdai.gov.in before relying on any section in practice.
FAQs
Which section of the Insurance Act deals with surveyors?expand_more
Section 64UM. IRDAI also cites sections 42D, 42E and 114A of the Insurance Act, and sections 14 and 26 of the IRDA Act, as its powers to make the Surveyors Regulations.
Which regulation lists a surveyor's duties?expand_more
Regulation 13 of the IRDAI (Insurance Surveyors and Loss Assessors) Regulations, 2015, as amended in 2020.
Can a corporate surveyor be a partnership firm?expand_more
New corporate surveyors must be a company under the Companies Act, 2013 or an LLP. Partnership firms licensed before the 2020 amendment may continue.
Can a trainee surveyor sign a survey report?expand_more
No. A student member must not take up survey work or issue a survey report without holding a licence from IRDAI.
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