Derivatives and Inflation
Volume 16, Number 3 Article by Arunabha Mukhopadhyay , Binay Bhushan Chakrabarti & Asok Kumar PodderSeptember, 2004
Derivatives and Inflation - Indexing of Pension in India :
The World Bank has recommended that all countries should shift from the unfunded Defined Benefit scheme of pension to funded schemes of pension, to reduce the burden on the exchequer and thereby revitalise sagging national economies. This indicates a paradigm shift from the Defined Benefit Pay-As-You-Go scheme to Defined Contribution schemes. In this changed scenario and in the absence of a social security net in India, planning for pensionary benefits is of utmost importance. Increased longevity and changing demographic and family patterns make it very important for individuals to opt for pension schemes that provide adequate amounts and also cushion them against inflation, given the ever-rising expenses, especially of healthcare.
Personal pension schemes allow individuals to plan their own pension benefits. This 'third pillar' of pension benefit is not widespread in India and comes without any inflation cover. Arunabha Mukhopadhyay, Binay Bhushan Chakrabarti and Asok Kumar Podder begin by critically analysing the adequateness of the third pillar of retirement provision in providing pensionary benefits to senior citizens in India. They investigate the returns provided by Life Insurance Corporation of India's personal pension schemes and find these schemes wanting in protecting against inflation. An exploration of actuarial techniques and the IRDA regulations used to design the personal policy schemes reveals that a very low rate of return and a flat 3% cushion against inflation had been considered while designing them. Risk averse investment in government securities is also a major reason for low returns. Based on the findings of their study, they propose the use of derivative contracts on stock index and government bonds as an effective means of providing inflation-protected pension to senior citizens in India.
Reprint No 04305c