Backdrop:
The welfare of senior citizens in India is mandated in the Constitution of India under Article 41. India is one of those countries that is seeing an exponential growth of elderly people. Better medical facilities, care, increased longevity, less fertility rates make the elderly population fastest growing segment in India. From the figure of around 101 Mn in 2011, the population of elderly people (60 plus) is likely to touch more than 300 Mn by 2050.
National Policy for Senior Citizens:
In India, there is no dedicated and exclusive Ministry at the Central Government for elderly people. The affairs of the senior citizens are managed by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The First Policy for senior citizens came in the year 1999 to coincide with the international year declaration by the United Nations. The next comprehensive Policy was announced in 2011.
If one looks at the Policy per se, it contains several policy directions for welfare of elderly people. These include:
1. Provision of income security through Pension scheme
2. Improvement in public distribution system
3. Taxation incentives
4. Microfinancing assistance to self-help groups of senior citizens
5. All types of medical assistance including highly subsidized medical support to below poverty line elderly people. This includes provision of medical insurance facility and public funded healthcare facilities for elders with 80 plus age
6. Setting up of national and regional ageing institutions for geriatric healthcare
7. Housing facilities including reservation of 10 per cent in housing schemes for lower-income segments, and creation of housing complexes for single senior male / female occupants, age-friendly access to all public places like railway stations, bus stands, etc.
8. Creation of a welfare fund through welfare cess
9. Means to create a mechanism to prevent abuse of elderly people
The New Draft Policy 2020 for senior citizens has aimed to focus among others on augmenting financial security, health services delivery, shelter, reskilling / employment opportunities, and special thrust on women senior citizens.
Review:
However, once we do a review at the ground, the situation appears not so convincing. First, our discussions with a large number of senior citizens at various levels including office bearers of Senior Citizen Associations reveal that awareness of the provisions of the Policy is extremely poor. A large number of senior citizens are neither aware of their rights nor the mechanism to redress their grievances. Rather, they consider themselves as the most neglected segment of the population being rejected and discarded by family members as well as society at large. Second, many of the Policy measures have remained as announcements without being implemented.
One reason for poor implementation is due to such responsibilities being outsourced to several Ministries at the Central Government as well as State Government and lack of congruence of thoughts. Third, the budgetary support towards meeting the measures has been inadequate.
Since the responsibility has been given to several Ministries, it becomes difficult to exactly assess the quantum of support but the outcome measurement is relatively low. Finally, there are few instances of social audit to assess impact of all the measures.
Recommendations:
Elderly people constitute one of the most important segments of Indian economy and it is essential that they be recognized as useful assets rather than liabilities. The attitude, therefore, needs to undergo a change at all levels.
We recommend that the Government of India should have a Separate Ministry dedicated to Elderly People. It is also high time that the New Draft Policy is modified in consultation with actual people on the ground to make it more practical and implemented with right earnest through right implementing agencies including social organizations. Senior citizens have vast experience and this should be taken advantage of. At the same time, they have a huge expectation, having served whole life for the family and country, to be taken care of. This mutual win-win approach can only bring forth the best results.
– Dr A K Sen Gupta, Co-Founder and Chief Trustee of My Retired Life Foundation (MRLF). He may be contacted at [email protected] or 9821128103.
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