New Delhi [India], August 1 : The inaugural session of the National Conference on Ageing in India on Thursday opened with a strong pitch for a dedicated "ease of living" charter for the elderly, aimed at ensuring dignity, security and active participation of senior citizens in society.
During the session, experts cautioned that the country must prepare urgently for the demographic shift towards an ageing society.
Delivering the special address, Vinod K. Paul, Member (Health, Nutrition and Education), NITI Aayog, said, "Shall we create a charter of ease of living by senior citizens, and then we work on it and we make life easy for these little things that work?"
He added that empowering families to take care of their elders should remain the foundation of India's approach.
In his inaugural address, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), noted that ageing is both an inevitable reality and an opportunity for India to strengthen its social fabric.
"We all are ageing, and that is a process and a reality. But in the Indian context, there are certain issues, certain challenges, and more importantly, there are certain opportunities. I think that needs to be understood," he said.
National Conference on Ageing in India was organised by the Sankala Foundation, supported by NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and NHRC.
The session began with welcome remarks by Devendra Kumar Nim, Director (Programmes), Sankala Foundation, followed by the release of the report "Ageing in India: Challenges and Opportunities."
Speaking on the report, Bharat Lal, Secretary General and CEO, NHRC, India, said, "The report will help us basically in just flagging issues, just to an advocacy. Let's make awareness more."
He pointed out that India will have nearly 35 crore elderly people by 2050--one in every five citizens--making ageing a critical policy challenge. "Only one in five elderly people have health insurance, making them vulnerable to out-of-pocket expenses... Seventy-eight per cent of Indians have no pension... financial fraud, phishing and identity theft among elderly people are rising," he said, while stressing the need to evolve community-based care models rooted in India's family value system and supplemented by global best practices.
The session concluded with the presentation of mementoes and a vote of thanks by Malvika Kaul, Director (Research and Communications), Sankala Foundation.