19 Oct

Elderlies

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Content

• Introduction
• Key Problems faced by Elderlies in India
• Constitutional Protection to Elderlies
• Legal Provisions
• Policies/Schemes / Other Steps taken

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Quotes

“By despising all that has preceded us, we teach others to despise ourselves.” – William Hazlitt.

“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” – Tia Walker

Introduction

• Ageing is a natural process, which brings a lot of challenges for elderly people, which are mostly engineered by the changes that occur in their body, mind and pattern of living.
• The phenomena of population aging are becoming a major concern for policy makers all over the world, both for developed and developing countries. India too is not immune to this demographic change. The changing demographic profile has thrown many new challenges in the social, economic and political domains.
• Elderly Population in India
  • According to the Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections for India and States 2011-2036, there are nearly 138 million [10.1%] elderly population in India in 2021 (67 million males and 71 million females) and this is further expected to increase by around 56 million [to 13.1%] elderly persons in 2031.
  • States with higher Human development performance has higher percentage of elderly population – E.g., Kerala (16.5%), Tamil Nadu (13.6%) etc. and states with poor human development have very low elderly population (e.g., Bihar (7.7%), Uttar Pradesh (8.1%) etc.

Key Problems faced by Elderlies in India

• Lack of Financial Security
  • Elderlies are in urgent need of care, as nearly 90% of them have/had been associated with the unorganized sector and thus, are not included in any sustainable social security scheme.
  • Both center and states have pension schemes for the elders, but these provide very low amounts – sometimes as low as Rs 350 to Rs 400 a month in some states.
  • Even these pension initiatives are not universal.
• Poor Health Services -> Limited access; low expense on old age health; lack of geriatrics care facilities; poor health insurance cover; missing emergency response infrastructure.
  • • • As the growth rate of elderly population increase, we will have to enhance the range of quality, affordable, and accessible health care services to the elderly.
• Poor institutional support and Infrastructure
  • Very few governments run elderly homes and elderly recreational homes exist.
  • There are very few public ramps and elderly friendly infrastructure available for less mobile elderlies.
• Psychological Problems: Isolation/Loneliness due to increased nuclear families and migration.
  • Care-management of elderlies who are living alone also becomes difficult.
  • Mental Health and Depression is becoming more prevalent. A recent study by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and the Government of TN shows that among elderlies around 30-50% have symptoms of being depressed. In most cases the depression remains undiagnosed and untreated.
• Poor Legal Aid
  • Though a number of legal provisions exists for the protection of elderlies, these provisions are hardly implemented as elderlies find it difficult to access legal aid in case of violation of their rights.
• Elderlies are generally among the worst affected during any kind of disaster.
• Other Recent Emerging Problems
  • Digital Illiteracy: Makes it difficult to access government benefits.
  • Feminization of Aging
    • Sex ratio among elderlies – 1033 women for every 1000 men – According to 2011 census.
      • Women represent an even greater majority of the ‘Oldest Old’ population of 80 years and above.
  • Discrimination and neglect faced by women exacerbate as they age.
• Ruralization of elderlies
  • In case of India, 71% of elderlies live in villages where income insecurity, access to healthcare and isolation are more acute.
• Climate Change has impacted elderlies more:
• Conditions like heatwaves, floods, cyclones, air pollution etc. are exacerbated by climate change. They tend to impact elderlies more than the rest of the population.

Constitutional Protection to Elderlies

Article 41: The state shall, within the limits of economic capacity and development, make effective provisions for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement.

Legal Provisions

A. Under Personal Laws

• Section 20 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act imposes obligation on children to maintain their parents. (Note: the obligation is not confined to sons only and daughters also have an equal duty).
• Similarly, Muslim Personal law also provides for maintenance by Children
•  Though under Christians and Parsi personal laws, there are no provisions for maintenance of elderlies, they can also be directed to take care of elderlies as per the provisions of CrPC.

B. Section 125 of Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC)

• Introduced in 1973
• Provision for maintenance of elderlies if children (i.e. even daughters are responsible) have sufficient means.

C. Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

Policies/Schemes / Other Steps taken

i. National Policy for Older Person (NPOP), 1999

•  It was formulated by MoSJ&E with the goal of ensuring well-being of older persons.
• It focuses upon providing financial security, health care, Shelter, re-employment opportunities, concessional rail/air fares etc.

ii. Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY): Empowering the Elderly for a Dignified Life
iii. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme
iv. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna (2017) -> for providing assisted living devices for BPL senior citizens
v. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Man Dhan Yojna: Launched in 2019; a voluntary, contribution based scheme which ensures a minimum pension of Rs 3,000 per month for small and marginal farmers who turn 60 years of age.
vi. Annapurna Scheme (MoRD) – Senior citizens above the age of 65 years and who are not getting pension under NOAPS are provided 10 kgs of food grain per person per month free of cost under the scheme.
vii. Financial Concessions/Benefits
a. Special FD rates for senior citizens in banks.
b. Discount in income tax (Income Tax Act)

Other Recent Initiatives:

• SAGE Project (Sep 2021) -> It is aimed at promoting private enterprise to bring innovation in products to benefit elderlies.
• SACRED PORTAL (Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (SACRED) Portal)
  • The focus of this portal is to provide opportunities for employment for older persons by involving society at large specially by involving private firms, educational institutes, government sector, local bodies, NGOs, media and public at large.

International Initiatives for Elderlies

• International Day of Older Persons: 1st October is celebrated as the International Day of Older Persons, as declared by United Nations, to recognize, enable and expand the contributions of older people in their families, communities and societies at large and to raise awareness towards the issues of ageing.
• UN Decade of Health Ageing: The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) is a global collaboration, aligned with the last ten years of the Sustainable Development Goals, that brings together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector to improve the lives of older people.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) on International Day for Older Persons (Oct 2020)

Way Forward

• Standing committee on Social Justice and empowerment had suggested following measures which have still not been implemented:
  a. A scheme for awareness generation of Maintenance act, 2007.
  b. Establish a National Commission for senior citizens.
  c. Establishing a National Trust for aged.
  d. Strengthening of MoSJ&E for proper implementation of various old age schemes.
  e. Expansion in old age homes and geriatrics care.
  • Specialized guidelines for old age homes, especially related to design of buildings and expertise required to manage these homes.

f. Tax exemption to elderlies should be raised periodically.

• Universal Pension Scheme: A universal pension scheme for all elderlies (currently it is only for BPL).
  • Link it with Adhaar so that elderly will be able to receive pension wherever she is living.
  • It will ensure there is no exclusion error.
• Focus on healthy ageing.
  • India should reimagine its healthcare policy for the next few decades, with an elderly prioritized approach.
    • Legislate pro-elderly healthcare and insurance policies.
    • Increase public healthcare spending, and invest heavily in the creation of well equipped and staffed medical care facilities and home-healthcare and rehabilitation services.
    • Emphasis on requirements of people with chronic conditions like dementia.
  • More awareness about the issues of elderlies among citizens need to be spread.
  • Create human resource -> The ASHA program can be a template.
  • Promoting awareness about the concept of healthy ageing and the health problems and to involve the community in the process of mitigation.
• Dealing with urban isolation
  • Communities and NGOs can play an important role.
  • More elderly recreation centres needs to be created
• Use of technology
  • Use social media platform and technology to help
  • To advertise community-based initiatives and bring elderlies together
• Database of vulnerable elderlies
  • Local government should keep a database of elderlies living alone so that they can be helped in disaster/emergency situation.
• Increasing Socio-economic participation of elderlies
  • Elderlies are a massive resource of experienced, knowledgeable people.
  • Certain strategies and approaches at different levels of policy making, planning and programming etc. will have to be adopted in order to harness this vast human resource for promoting the involvement and participation of senior citizens in socio-economic development process on a much larger scale
  • This will reduce their social isolation and increase their general satisfaction in life.
• Discussion over making old age care a fundamental right
  • At least the discussion should start. Elderlies are perhaps the most vulnerable groups in our society and it is important that they get the highest priority in every government policy.

Conclusion

This is the decade of Healthy Ageing as well as the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs. As
Asia-Pacific, with the rest of the world, seeks to ‘build back better’ from the devastating
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, let us seize this moment to transform the challenge of
population ageing into an opportunity. We must collectively prioritize greater action,
funding, and implementation.

PRELIMS FACTS:

Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana:

• By MoSJ&E
• Central Sector Scheme Yojana
• The National Action Plan for Senior Citizens (NAPSrc) has been revamped, renamed as Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana. It is a comprehensive initiative aimed at empowering and uplifting senior citizens in India. It also aims to ensure their active participation and inclusion in all aspects of life. It recognizes the invaluable contribution made by elderly to society seeks to ensure their well-being and social inclusion.
• It has a component called Integrated Program for Senior Citizens (IPSrC): It provides financial assistance to eligible organizations for running and maintenance of senior citizen homes/ continuous care homes to improve the quality of life for senior citizens, especially indigent senior citizens by providing basic amenities, entertainment opportunities and by encouraging productive and active aging.

Achievements:

• Presently a total of 552 Senior citizen homes, 14 continuous care homes, 19 mobile
  Medicare units and 5 physiotherapy clinics are being assisted and maintained by
  different NGOs across the country.
• Another component under the scheme is Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY). It provides eligible senior citizens suffering from any of the age-related disability/ infirmity, with assisted living devices which can restore nearly normalcy in their bodily functions, overcoming the disability/infirmity manifested such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and loco-motor disabilities.
  • Financial criteria – BPL elderly or he/she has income upto Rs 15,000 per month.
  • Achievements: A total of 269 camps have been held till date and the number of beneficiaries of these camps is over 4 lakh. – The scheme thus stands as a testament to the government’s commitment to the well-being and
    empowerment of senior citizens in India.

Example Questions: 

i. “Proof of a truly developed country lies in the way it not only nurtures its young but also
cares for its elders, equally”. In this light discuss the key initiatives in India for the welfare of
Elderlies. Do you think these initiatives have been effective. Give reasons. [10 marks, 150
words]
ii. “Phenomena of population aging is becoming a major concern for policy makers all over the world”. Discuss. [150 words, 10 marks]
iii. Discuss the key challenges faced by elderly population in India. What steps should be taken to truly make the decade 2020-30 as the Decade of Healthy Ageing. [200 words, 12.5 marks]
iv. Examine the main provisions of the National Policy for Older People (NPOP) and throw light on the status of its implementation. [10 marks, 150 words]
v. Critically analyze the provisions of “The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior
Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019″ [10 marks, 150 words]