Lok Sabha Question No. 356 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Welfare of  Senior Citizens
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Parshottambhai Rupala

:

## GOYERNMENT OT'INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE  AIID EMPOWERMENT

## LOKSABIIA

## WELFARE OF SEMOR CITIZENS

## 356. SHRI PARSHOTTAMBIIAI  RUPALA:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AI\D EMPOWERMENT  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the Govemment  is aware that the number of senior  citizens in the country  is rising  sharply,  leading to growing concems regarding  their welfare  and healthcare,  if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the central Govemment,  in coordination with state Governments  and other stakeholders,  intends to implement effective policies for the welfare of Senior  Citizens, if so, the details  thereof;
- (c) whether the Govemment proposes  to undertake any detailed  study to assess  the challenges faced by Senior Citizens,  if so, the details thereof,  and if no! the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of the specific  measures taken by the Govemment  to provide special Healthcare facilities  for Senior Citizens, if so, the details thereof?

## AI\SWER

## MINISTER  oF srArE FoR socIAL JUSTICE AND EMPowEt#'*II.r.nr**o,

- (a): As pei the report of Technical Group on Population Projections constituted  by the National commission  on Populatiorl between  201I and 2036, the proportion  ofpopulation of the older ages  (60 years  and above) is projected to increase from l0 crores in 20ll to 23 crores in 2036 - an increase  in their share to the total population from 8.4 to 14.9 percent.
- (b): Recognizing the growing needs  of the elderly  population  and to mitigate  the hardships being faced by them, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing  an umbrella scheme, namely Atal Vayo Abhyuday  Yojana (AVYAY) w.e.f. 01.04.2021  for the Welfare of Senior  Citizens across  the country. The details  of components  of the scheme  are as follows-
- i. IPSC(ntegrated  Programme for Senior Citizens)- Under IPSC, gant-in-aid is provided  to the organisations  for maintenance of senior citizen homes (Sr.CH)' continuous  care homes  (ccH), mobile  medicare units (MMU) and physiotherapy clinics. The objective of the scheme is to improve  the qualrty of life of the Senior Citizens,  especially indigent  senior citizens by providing basic amenities  like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment  opportunities  and by encouraging  productive and active ageing.

## I]NSTARRED  QIJESTION  NO.356 TO BE AI\SWERED  ON 02.12.2025

- ii. SAPSTC (State Action Plan for Senior Citizens)- The Govemment of India perceives  a major and critical role of aU State/ UT Govemments in welfare of senior citizens. Each State/UT is expected to plan taking  into account  their local considerations  and frame their own State Action Plans for the welfare of their senior citizens. Under SAPSTC, the Ministry  releases funds to StateVUTs  for implementation of their action plans. SAPS€  is being implemented  since FY 2019-20.
- iii. RVY (Rashtriya  Vayoshri Yojana)- The scheme aims for providing Physical  Aids and Assisted  Living  Devices for Senior Citizens below  poverty line and with the family income not exceed to Rs. 15,000/-per month. The scheme is being implemented  since 2017.
- iv. Elderline- The National  Helpline  for Sr Citizens  (14567) is to generate  awareness about the Act; schemes  & programmes  being executed by different Central & State Govemments  and to provide  platform  to redress  grievances  of Sr Citizens across the county.
- v. Training  of Geriatric  Care Givers- The main objective  is to bridge the gap in supply and increasing demand in the field of geriatic  caregivers  so as to provide more professional services to the senior  citizens and also to  qeate  a cadre of professional care givers  in the field of geriatrics.  Considering  the acute shortage of Geriatric Caregivers  and the increasing demand in the market, the Departnent has decided to hain 1,00,000 trainees  in the field of Geriatric Care givers  in order to meet the demand.
- vi. Other Initiatives  for Senior Citizens-  ln order to solve the problems  of healthy and productive ageing several  initiatives  are taken across the country. The proposed initiatives are aimed at involving  the elders in building  up knowledge  which can be usefut for the society  as a whole.
- vii. Seniorcare  Ageing  Growth  Engine  (SAGE)-  The main objective is to promote  out-ofthe-box and innovative  solutions for the commonly  faced problems, innovative  startups would be identified and encouraged  for developing products, processes and services  for the welfare of the elderly.

The Govemment has also constituted National  Council  of Senior Citizens under the Chairpersonship  of the Minister  for Social Justice and Empowerment comprising  of various stakeholders,  including  representatives of StateVUTs to oversee  implementation  ofthe Policy and advise  the Govemment in the formulation  and implementation of policy and programmes for the aged. The mandate of the National  Council of Senior Citizens is to advise the Central and State Govemments  on the entire gamut  of issues related to the welfare of senior citizens and enhancement  of their quality  of life.

- (c): A committee  has been setup by NITI Aayog comprising representatives from the Stakeholders  Minishies,  StateVUTs,  academic institutions,  senior care organizations  and industry  to recommend a strategic framework for holistic care and welfare of the senior citizens. Further  MTI Aayog  has also published  a position paper on Senior  Care Reforms  in India - Reimagining  the Senior Care Paradip  in February,2l24.
- (d): The Govemment  has extended the health covenge  of flagship  scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)  to all the senior citizens  aged 70 years and above irrespective of income. Further, the Ministry of Health  & Family Welfare implements  National  Programme  for Healthcare  of the Elderly  (NPHCE) Scheme  to ensure health of the senior citizens.  Salient  features of this  program are: (i) Community  based primary Healthcare  approach,  (ii) Dedicated  service at PHC/CHC level, (iii) dedicated facilities at district hospitals with l0 bedded wards,(iv)  Strengthening  of Regional Geriatic Centres to provide dedicated tertiary  level medical facilities for the elderly  ,  (v) InformatiorL Education  and Communication(IEC)  using mass media" folk media and other communication channels  and (vi) Continuous Monitoring and independent evaluation of the Programme  and research  in Geriatrics and implementation  of NPHCE (vii) The Tertiary Component  of National  Health Mission has been renamed  as Rashtriya Varishth Jan Swasthya  Yojana in 2016-17  under which 17 Regional Geriatric Centres and 2 National Centres of Ageing  have been established.

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