Shashi Tharoor has raised concerns over delays in resolving insurance complaints, saying in a post on X that more than half of the complaints still pending on the Bima Bharosa portal turn out to be linked to each other. He said the finding came to light after he sought official information about how the portal is functioning, and he flagged it as worrying that so many grievances remain stuck for related reasons. The post has put fresh focus on how quickly India's insurance grievance system actually works.
What Is the Bima Bharosa Portal
Bima Bharosa is an online grievance redressal system set up by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, or IRDAI. It is designed to give policyholders a single window to file complaints against their insurance companies and track the status of those complaints. If an insurer fails to resolve a complaint on its own, the policyholder can escalate the matter to the insurance ombudsman for resolution.
What Tharoor Said
Tharoor said his question was specifically aimed at getting information on how the Bima Bharosa portal is functioning. He wrote on X that it is concerning that more than half of the complaints still pending on the portal turned out to be linked to each other, calling it a sign of a deeper problem in how the system handles grievances. He also tagged IRDAI's official handle in the post.
A Familiar Complaint About a Backlogged System
The issue Tharoor raised is not new. According to news reports, gaps in the data reported on the Bima Bharosa portal, and the slow pace at which complaints get resolved, have surfaced before. The portal and the ombudsman mechanism were meant to give policyholders an effective way to get their grievances heard, but a large volume of pending, interlinked complaints raises questions about how well that system is actually working. Complaints over rejected health insurance claims are said to make up a significant share of the backlog, and policyholders often end up having to approach the ombudsman or a consumer court to get their claims settled.
Public Reaction
Reactions to Tharoor's post on social media were mixed. Several users welcomed him raising the issue, saying delays in resolving insurance complaints had needed attention for a long time. Others expressed frustration with IRDAI and insurance companies, calling for faster action and stricter oversight. Many also asked how ordinary policyholders are supposed to get timely justice, while some sought a direct response from the government and the regulator on the matter.
