Date: 01/04/2023

Relevance: GS-2: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions, and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections.

Key Phrases: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Jobs, health and a greying population, SACRED portal, National Statistical Office (NSO), Old-age dependency, Social security coverage.

Context:

• Senior citizen job portals such as SACRED have become popular these days.
  • This portal was developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
  • Citizens above 60 years of age can register on the portal and find jobs and work opportunities.
• The corporate and public sector’s compassion for senior citizens seems convincing nowadays.
  • This could raise the self-esteem of those who have over the years gained a fair degree of experience and knowledge.

Status of Elderly Population:

• Older people are a valuable resource for any society.
  • Ageing is a natural phenomenon with opportunities and challenges.
  • According to Census 2011, India has 104 million older people (60+years), constituting 8.6% of total population.
  • Amongst the elderly (60+), females outnumber males.
• India’s elderly population (aged 60 and above) is projected to touch 194 million in 2031 from 138 million in 2021, a 41 per cent increase over a decade, according to the National Statistical Office (NSO)’s Elderly in India 2021 report.
  • Flagging concerns around an ageing population and stressing the need for India to plan for a changing population structure, the report said there will be 93 million males and 101 million females in 2031 — up from 67 million males and 71 million females in 2021.
  • Kerala currently has the highest elderly population (16.5 per cent), followed by Tamil Nadu (13.6 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (13.1 per cent), Punjab (12.6 percent) and Andhra Pradesh (12.4 per cent) in 2021.
  • Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam have the least proportion with 7.7 per cent, 8.1 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively.
• The elderly population’s decadal growth (population growth rate over a 10-year period) compared to that of the general population showed a huge contrast.
  • While elderly decadal growth is predicted to rise from 35.5 per cent in 2001-11 to 35.8 percent in 2011-21 to 40.5 in 2021-31, the growth is said to decline from 17.7 to 12.4 to 8.4 per cent in the general population, respectively.
• The old-age dependency ratio is defined as the number of persons aged 60+ per 100 persons relative to the age group 15-59.
  • The report noted a significant increase in the old-age dependency ratio, which rose from 10.9 per cent in 1961 to 14.2 per cent in 2011 and is projected to increase to 15.7 per cent and 20.1 per cent in 2021 and 2031, respectively.

Concerns:

• Social security coverage :
  • Social security coverage is only about 20% in the country while health insurance coverage is around 25%.
  • Given the fact that we are sure of a huge increase in our elderly population over the coming decades, the level of social security coverage and access to health services for the elderly is fairly low.
  • There are a plethora of schemes for the elderly, but they are tokenistic and lack the depth and financial support needed to make any meaningful impact.
• Multi-morbidity :
  • Studies have also revealed that senior citizens struggle with multi-morbidity (simultaneous presence of two or more chronic conditions) more than other age groups, all of which call for increase in geriatric care centres and targeted interventions for reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases.
• Unemployment rate induced Issues :
  • The youth, who are expected to work here and look after their parents, are increasingly shifting abroad in search of jobs as India’s unemployment rate is in the region of 8 per cent.
  • On the other, the informal sector is absorbing a large number of unemployed, but they are highly insecure and underpaid.
  • These factors are forcing the youth to go abroad, leaving behind ageing parents.
• Healthcare costs :
  • The cost of medical care has surged.
    • Private healthcare costs and rising insurance premiums are draining out savings.
  • Economic Survey 2022-23 put out-of-pocket expenditure as a percentage of total health expenditure (which includes government and private expenditure, estimated at ₹5.96-lakh crore or ₹4,470 per capita) at 48.2.
• Food and Fuel Inflation :
  • Food and fuel inflation has also risen, causing anxiety among those with limited income to meet day-to-day expenses.

Government’s Efforts:

• Government of India’s National Policy on Older Persons 1999, Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and National Policy for Senior Citizens 2011, provide the legal framework for supporting the needs of seniors.
• The National Programme for Health Care of Elderly and Health and Wellness Centres under the Ayushman Bharat programme provide dedicated healthcare to elderly at primary health care settings.

Way Forward:

• Given the scenario of a rapid increase in the size of India’s elderly population (at a higher rate in some states) and the poor financial status of the elderly and lack of financial support for schemes under implementation, we need high- level political engagement over this issue.
• India will have to prepare now to take care of its fast-increasing older population.
  • Investments have to be made in elderly health, social services and old age care.
• With longevity increasing, it is important to reskill senior citizens and move beyond the mindset that the productive age is between 15 and 59 years, otherwise we will have a chunk of the population that is not part of any economic development.
• If ageing issues are not attended to now, with proactive and prospective policies and programmes both at the national and state levels, with the engagement of corporates and civil society, it could lead to a situation like the one we are facing currently with poor skills among the youth that should have been addressed with sincerity decades earlier.

Conclusion:

• The citizens of the country should not leave any stone unturned to make the lives of the elderly ones much easier.
• India cannot afford to let elders fade from the country’s collective consciousness.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. What are the issues with the elderly population of India? Suggest the measures to solve these issues. (150 Words).