Marine Insurance
National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) ka Marine Insurance Plan ek bahut hi specialized policy hai jo goods (maal) ko ek jagah se doosri jagah transport karte samay hone waale nuksaan ya khatron (risks) se financial suraksha (protection) deti hai. Yeh policy khaas taur par international aur domestic trade mein zaroori hoti hai, jahan maal ko ships, aeroplanes, trucks, ya trains se bheja jaata hai.
Marine Insurance, jaisa ki naam se lagta hai, sirf samundar (sea) tak hi seemit nahi hai; yeh poore transport chain ko cover karta hai.
1. Marine Insurance Kya Hai? (Definition aur Zaroorat) 🚢
Marine Insurance ek contract hai jismein insurer (NICL) policyholder ko maal (cargo), vessel (jahaz), ya transport se judi liability ko hone waale nuksaan se indemnify (muawza dena) karta hai.
Zaroorat Kyun?
High Risk: Transport ke dauran (khaaskar samundar ya lamba safar) maal ke chori hone (theft), nuksaan hone (damage), ya poora doob jaane (total loss) ka khatra bahut zyada hota hai.
Liability: Carriers (transport karne waali companies) ki liability aksar limited hoti hai. Aise mein, agar koi bada nuksaan ho jaaye, toh cargo owner ko bahut bada financial loss ho sakta hai.
Trade Requirement: International trade mein, bank aur buyers aksar yeh demand karte hain ki maal ka proper insurance ho, khaaskar Letter of Credit (L/C) transactions mein.
2. Marine Insurance Ke Mukhya Prakaar (Main Types) 📦
Marine Insurance ko do major categories mein baanta jaata hai:
A. Marine Cargo Insurance (Maal Ka Beema)
Yeh sabse zyada common type hai. Yeh policy maal (goods) ko transport ke dauran hone waale loss ya damage ko cover karti hai, chahe woh samundar, hawa, ya zameen se bheja jaa raha ho.
Policy Types:
Specific Voyage Policy: Sirf ek trip ya ek shipment ke liye cover.
Open Policy / Floating Policy: Jo businesses regularly goods import/export karte hain, unke liye yeh policy bahut useful hai. Ismein ek saal ke liye cover liya jaata hai, aur har naye shipment ki details insurer ko automatically ya periodic basis par deni hoti hai.
B. Marine Hull Insurance (Jahaz/Vessel Ka Beema)
Yeh policy ship, boat, ya vessel ki physical structure (body) aur uski machinery ko hone waale nuksaan ya damage ko cover karti hai. Yeh aam taur par shipping companies ya boat owners lete hain.
3. Marine Cargo Insurance Mein Coverage Options (Institute Cargo Clauses) 📜
NICL ki Marine Cargo policies mein coverage options ko globally accepted Institute Cargo Clauses (ICC) ke aadhar par define kiya jaata hai. Yeh teen main clauses hain, jo risk level ke hisaab se sabse zyada protection se sabse kam protection tak jaate hain:
| ICC Clause | Coverage Level | Kya Cover Hota Hai (Example) |
| ICC ‘A’ | All Risks (Sabse Comprehensive) | Yeh sabse broad cover hai. Ismein saare khatre cover hote hain (jaise chori, beej jaane se nuksaan, breakage), jab tak ki unhe explicitly exclude (alag) na kiya gaya ho. |
| ICC ‘B’ | Named Perils (Medium Cover) | Ismein sirf woh khatre cover hote hain jinka naam policy mein diya gaya hai. Jaise: Fire, explosion, general average, vessel ka doob jaana, earthquake, vessel mein pani ghus jaana. Simple theft ismein cover nahi hoti. |
| ICC ‘C’ | Restricted Cover (Minimum Cover) | Yeh sabse basic cover hai. Ismein major/catastrophic losses hi cover hote hain. Jaise: Vessel ka doob jaana, aag, ya collision (takkar). |
Kya Cover Hota Hai (Key Perils):
Total Loss: Poore shipment ka doob jaana ya chori ho jaana.
Partial Loss: Shipment ke kuch hisse ka nuksaan.
General Average (Ek Khas Niyam): Yeh ek international maritime law hai. Agar jahaz ko kisi bade khatre (danger) se bachane ke liye (jaise aag) captain ko kuch maal samundar mein fenkna pade, toh ismein hone waale nuksaan ki zimmedari jahaz par mojood sabhi cargo owners ke beech baant di jaati hai. Marine Insurance is General Average Contribution ko cover karta hai.
4. Main Exclusions (Kya Cover Nahi Hota Hai?) ❌
Har Marine Policy mein kuch standard exclusions hote hain:
Willful Misconduct of the Insured: Agar policyholder ne jaan boojhkar nuksaan kiya ho.
Ordinary Leakage/Weight Loss: Maal ka natural ghisna, tapakna, ya normal weight loss hona.
Inherent Vice: Maal ki apni quality (khud ki khaasiyat) ki wajah se nuksaan hona (jaise kachche phal ka safar ke dauran sadh jaana).
Insufficient Packing: Agar packing theek se nahi ki gayi, aur us wajah se nuksaan ho.
Unseaworthiness/Unfitness of Vessel: Agar jahaz/vessel theek se safar ke liye taiyar na ho.
War and Strike/Terrorism: Yudh, dange, ya aatankwad se hone waala nuksaan standard policy mein cover nahi hota. Iske liye War and Strikes Clause ka add-on lena padta hai.
Loss of Market/Consequential Loss: Maal late pahunchne ki wajah se hone waala financial loss (jaise rate gir jaana).
5. Marine Cargo Insurance Ka Safar (From Warehouse to Warehouse) 🗺️
NICL ki Marine Policy aam taur par “Warehouse to Warehouse” basis par chalti hai. Iska matlab hai ki cover tab shuru hota hai jab maal supplier ke warehouse se nikalta hai aur tab tak chalu rehta hai jab tak woh final consignee (receiver) ke warehouse mein nahi pahunch jaata.
Is poore safar mein chahe woh Road, Rail, Sea, ya Air se jaa raha ho, policy cover deti hai. Isliye ise Marine Cum Transit Policy bhi kehte hain.
6. Premium Aur Underwriting Factors (Khatra Moolyaankan) 📊
Premium fix karte samay NICL in baaton par dhyan deta hai:
Nature of Cargo: Maal kis tarah ka hai (jaise glass/fragile items ka premium zyada hoga).
Packing: Packing kitni strong aur secure hai.
Transit Route: Safar kitna lamba hai aur kin areas se hokar guzrega (jaise high-risk/piracy zones).
Mode of Transport: Sea, Air, ya Road (Air ka risk sabse kam hota hai).
Past Claims History: Policyholder ka pichle saalon ka claims record.
7. Claim Process (Daawa Prakriya) 📞
Marine Claims thode complex hote hain, isliye turant action zaroori hai:
Immediate Notification: Loss/Damage hote hi turant NICL aur carrier (shipping company/trucker) ko inform karein.
Survey: Company Marine Surveyor appoint karti hai jo nuksaan ka assessment karta hai.
Recovery Rights: Policyholder ko carrier, port authority, ya kisi teesre paksh ke khilaf apne recovery rights ko preserve karna zaroori hai (yani, unko notice dena ki maal unki custody mein damage hua hai).
Documents: Zaroori documents (Bill of Lading, Invoice, Packing List, Claim Form, Survey Report) jama karne hote hain.
Antim Baat:
NICL ka Marine Insurance Plan, chahe woh Cargo ho ya Hull, international aur domestic supply chain ke liye ek critical safety mechanism hai. Yeh exporters, importers, aur manufacturers ko maal ki safety aur timely delivery ke dauran hone waale uncertainties se financial security dekar global trade ko support karta hai. Jab bhi maal transport karein, hamesha ICC ‘A’ (All Risks) aur zaroori add-ons (jaise War & Strike) lene ki salah di jaati hai.