QUE: The percentage of elderly population in India is increasing rapidly. Discuss the various challenges faced by the elderly population of India. Also tell about the various initiatives taken by the government for the welfare of the elderly.

The population of senior citizens in India is continuously increasing. The number of elderly persons increased from 1.98 crore in 1951 to 7.6 crore in 2001 and to 10.38 crore in 2011. According to the India Ageing Report 2023 of UNFPA, the share of senior citizens will reach 20.8 percent of the population i.e. close to 347 million by the year 2050.

• Challenges faced by the Indian elderly population
  

•  According to UNFPA reports, women are living longer than men (feminization) resulting in higher incidence of widowhood and related socio-cultural and economic deprivation and dependency.
  
•  According to the 2011 Census of India, an average of 71 percent of the elderly live in rural areas. Therefore, income insecurity, lack of adequate and quality health care and loneliness are more serious for rural elders than their urban counterparts.
  
•  With increasing age and declining health, the elderly person unknowingly becomes physically and mentally dependent on social support networks.
  
•  Income insecurity is a major cause of insecurity in old age. According to the report, only 17 percent of the elderly receive wages for their economic participation.
  
•  Fear of crime is considered one of the major concerns, which mainly causes anxiety among the elderly. Crime has a serious impact among them. This is because as they age, they become physically incapacitated and are no longer able to protect themselves.
  
• Various initiatives of the government for the welfare of the elderly

•  Financial assistance is provided to the elderly under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) scheme.
  
•  Under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, a monthly pension of Rs. 1000/- is provided to the senior citizens of the age group of 60-79 years belonging to the BPL category.
  
•  Rashtriya Vayoshree Yojana (RVY): A scheme to provide physical assistance and assistive living devices to senior citizens.
  
• Livelihood and Skill Initiatives for Senior Citizens; Re-employment of Senior Able Citizens (SACRED); Action Groups for Social Reconstruction (AGRASR Groups): Self-help groups for senior citizens.
  
•  Establishment of homes to improve the quality of life of senior citizens by providing basic facilities like shelter, food, medical care and recreational opportunities etc. under the Awareness Generation and Capacity Building Scheme for the Welfare of Senior Citizens
  
•  Senior Care Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE): It has been launched with the objective of encouraging entrepreneurs to think about the problems of senior citizens and come up with innovative solutions.
  

                        The Government of India is committed to taking all possible steps towards improving the quality of life of the elderly and protecting their rights and dignity through full implementation of the National Policy on Older Persons. However, there is significant scope for improvement in the coverage of government schemes. Along with this, it is also necessary to ensure that the benefits of the schemes reach rural areas and that the needs of older women are also addressed, so as to build a healthy society.