Relevance: GS-2: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes

Key Phrases: Demographic dividend, NFHS-5, Healthcare Access and Quality Index

Why in news?

• Number of elders (those over 60 years) is already 137 million, and expected to increase by 40% to 195 million in 203

Analysis:

India’s status of Elderlies

• According to Population Census 2011, there are nearly 104 million elderly persons in India.
• It has increased from 5.5% in 1951 to 8.6% in 2011.- Projected a rise up to 19% in 2050.
• As regards rural and urban areas, more than 73 million persons i.e. 71% of elderly population resides in rural areas while 31 million or 29% of elderly population are in urban area.

Importance of Elderlies

• They can provide a vital generational link for upcoming generations. It provides support and stability to families and society at large.
• Grandparents in joint families provide a crucial link for transferring values and morals to the younger generation in their initial years, thereby contributing towards upbringing of better human beings and responsible citizens.
• Acknowledging seniors’ contributions would help to make ours a more age-inclusive society that does not pit one generation against the other.
• Their deep cultural impressions and social experiences provide the necessary buffer against intolerance, violence and hate crimes which provides stability in society
• Elderly peoples carry immense experience of their personal and professional life, society at large need to channelise those experience for better tomorrow.

What makes them vulnerable?

• Senior citizens are increasingly being neglected by the younger generation due to various reasons like western education, globalisation, nuclear family structure
• Low funding: India spends only 1% of its gross domestic product on pensions.
• Increased health-related expenses and the high prevalence of  Non-Communicable diseases also create a financial problem for the elderly population.
• Lack of geriatric care facilities in rural hospitals
• Relocation of young age population for livelihood leads to neglect, poverty and distress of the senior citizens
• There is no institutional support for the elderly, the cost of both living and Medicare is rising, eroding their savings, and the old-age pension.

Feminization of Elderly

• The sex ratio of the elderly has increased from 938 women to 1,000 men in 1971 to 1,033 in 2011 and is projected to increase to 1,060 by 2026.
• Predominance of widowed and highly dependent very old women” and so the special needs of such old women would need significant focus of policy and programmes.

Efforts taken by government

• Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP)- to improve the quality of life of older persons by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana - aids and assistive living devices are provided to senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffer from age-related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment
• Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY)- to give an assured minimum pension on a guaranteed minimum return on the subscription amount.
• Section 20 of Hindu Marriage and Adoption Act, 1956 makes it obligatory provisions to maintain an aged parent.

Constitutional Support: Besides DPSPs Art 39, Fundamental Duties also put on onus on younger generation towards them as Art 51A (f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture .Our Elders are part of our heritage.

Way ahead

• Housing for the aged, particularly the aged poor, must be a priority and be made a subset of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• Assisted living facilities for indigent elderly, particularly those with age-related issues like dementia, needs policy focus.
• Government has to increase the monthly pension to a minimum of Rs.5,000 per month. Any amount below this is of no use, given the rising inflation.
• As the elderly population is going to increase in the future, India should raise the retirement age in the future, albeit in a phased manner so as not to jeopardize opportunities for younger generations.
• The Government also has to proactively work on lifestyle modification, non-communicable disease management, vision and hearing problem management, and accessible health care.

Source: The Hindu