India, which has the world’s largest youth population, is neglecting its old. In a country with an aged population (over 60 years) of 10.4 crore, there are just around 300 Government-run old age homes covering 648 districts that take care of around 13,000 elderly. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 mandates an old age home in each district and provides penal provisions for children and relatives who abandon senior citizens.
Shockingly, India does not spend even 0.91 per cent of its GDP on its elderly.
After delving into these statistics, a Bench of Justices Madan B lokur and Deepak Gupta, observed, “We accept it is an enormous problem and we must find a solution.”
The court was dealing with two separate PIls filed by former Minister and senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar and a lawyer Sanjeeb Panigrahi.
Kumar gave statistics that suggest that only 2.98 crore among the elderly draw a pension from the Central Government, leaving a large chunk vulnerable.
According to him, 40 per cent of the elderly live below the poverty line. Under the 2007 Act, a pension of Rs200 is to be paid to each elderly between the age of 60 and 79. The Act further mandates an old age home in each district of the country.
However, the ground reality is very different. Kumar supplied data which showed that out of 684 districts, the Social Welfare Department had set up 296 homes, of which only 136 receive Government funding. “Instead of assistance increasing, the trend is declining over the years. Even the Parliamentary Standing Committee reports indicate that old age homes in the country cover only 13,000 elderly,” he said.
Statistics compiled by HelpAge India Director Mathew Cherian, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, suggested that India does not spend even 0.91 per cent of its GDP on its elderly at a time when developing countries like Brazil spend 4.5 per cent of the GDP on them.
Even a small country like Nepal has set apart four per cent of its GDP for the elderly.
He said that a pension of Rs200 was a “mockery” as this was hardly realistic or enough to sustain a person.
Cherian proposed to fix a monthly pension under the Act at Rs1,000 or Rs2,000.
If a pension of Rs2,000 per month is fixed, it will cost 1.81 per cent of the GDP while a pension of Rs1,000 will cost 0.91 per cent of the GDP.
Although the Centre indicated several schemes introduced by the present and past Governments to show its concern for the elderly, the Bench directed the Government to consider the proposals of the amicus curiae.
In addition, the court indicated that it will focus on establishment of old age homes and will monitor implementation of a dozen-odd social welfare schemes aimed for the aged.