Elder Line

30 Sep 2021 Elder Line

• Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Elder Line, the first Pan-India toll-free helpline number (14567) for Senior citizens, ahead of, which is observed on 1^stOctober every Year.
• Earlier SAGE (Senior care Aging Growth Engine) initiative was launched.

About:

• It provides information, guidance, emotional support – particularly on pension, medical and legal issues – besides immediate assistance in cases of abuse.
• It is devised to provide all senior citizens, or their well-wishers, with ONE platform across the country to connect and share their concerns and get information and guidance on problems that they face on a day-to-day basis.

Need:

• According to the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India, India will have over 319 million elderly by 2050 compared to the 120 million now. The senior citizen population faces several challenges such as mental, financial, emotional, physical, and legal.
• The Covid-19 Pandemic has aggravated the situation of senior citizens.

Other Initiatives Related to Elderly:

• Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP).
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY).
• Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojna (PMVVY).
• Vayoshreshtha Samman.
• Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act, 2007.

Ageing

• Ageing is a continuous, irreversible, universal process, which starts from conception till the death of an individual.
• However, the age at which one’s productive contribution declines and one tends to be economically dependent can probably be treated as the onset of the aged stage of life.
• The National Elderly Policy defines people in the 60+ age group as elderly.

khyati khare