Why and how India must care for its old

Abstract

In India, there are estimated to be about 11 crore senior citizens in the age group of 60 years and above of whom about eight crore have no old age security or pension, five crore sleep hungry, three crore live alone and one crore are going blind with no means to afford treatment. Also, as women live longer than men, there are a large number of female widows. In fact, 90 per cent of the elderly have to continue to work to eat because they have no alternative source for survival. Financial security is a major concern for the elderly as more than two-thirds of them live below the poverty line. And, the elderly population is expected to increase to 20 crore by 2030 and 31 crore by 2050.

The Central government has been initiating certain measures from time to time to help the elderly. Of them, the most important one was the Indira Gandhi National Old Age pension scheme, which was launched in 1995, offering between `200 and `500 per month depending on the age profile of the beneficiary. The National Pension Scheme — Swavalamban, a contributory pension scheme — was also initiated by the Union government in 2003. In May 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of schemes for social security to enhance the welfare of the citizens, especially in the unorganised sector. Read more at: https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2015/dec/31/Why-and-How-India-Must-Care-for-Its-Old-862914.html