{"id":30277,"date":"2024-10-01T16:54:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T11:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=30277"},"modified":"2024-10-01T16:54:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T11:24:11","slug":"international-day-of-older-persons-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/01-10-2024\/international-day-of-older-persons-2024","title":{"rendered":"International Day of Older Persons, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Society, GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The International Day of Older Persons, is commemorated on <strong>1 October<\/strong> each year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Origin: <\/strong>The idea was initiated by the United Nations. It stems from the V<strong>ienna International Plan of Action on Aging<\/strong>, which was adopted in <strong>1982<\/strong> by the World Assembly on Ageing.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>UN General Assembly Resolution:<\/strong> In <strong>1990,<\/strong> the UN General Assembly formally established October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons through Resolution 45\/106.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objectives: <\/strong>To raise public awareness about the opportunities and challenges with ageing populations and to mobilize the families, community groups and stakeholders to address the difficulties faced by older people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Theme for 2024: <\/strong>\u2018Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide\u2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Current Demographics of India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As of <strong>2021<\/strong>, India had around <strong>138 million<\/strong> elderly persons (aged 60 years and above), accounting for roughly <strong>10%<\/strong> of the total population.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to projections,<strong> by 2050<\/strong>, the elderly population in India is expected to reach around <strong>319 million<\/strong>, making up approximately <strong>19.5%<\/strong> of the total population.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons for Elderly Population Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Increasing Life Expectancy: <\/strong>The life expectancy in India has increased from around 50 years in 1970 to approximately 70 years in 2023 due to better healthcare and living conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Declining Fertility Rate:<\/strong> India&#8217;s fertility rate has declined over the years, leading to a shrinking younger population and a rising proportion of older persons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges Faced by the Elderly population<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Health Issues: <\/strong>Older persons in India commonly face non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and arthritis.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Dependency: <\/strong>Many elderly individuals in India are financially dependent on their children or families due to <strong>limited pension coverage and savings.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only about<strong> 30% <\/strong>of the elderly are covered by some form of a pension scheme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elder Abuse, <\/strong>especially emotional and financial neglect, is an issue in many families.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Isolation:<\/strong> Changing family structures, with nuclear families becoming more common, resulted in increased social isolation for the elderly, particularly in urban areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (SACRED)<\/strong> portal to connect senior citizens with job providers in the private sector.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Senior care Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE),<\/strong> by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, to promote and incentivise senior care products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP):<\/strong> It was formulated in 1999 to guide the development of policies and programs aimed at promoting the well-being of senior citizens.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY):<\/strong> Provides physical aids and assisted-living devices to elderly persons belonging to BPL categories and suffering from age-related disabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: <\/strong>It includes awareness generation\/sensitization programmes with school\/college students for strengthening Inter-generational bonding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS): <\/strong>It is a government-backed savings scheme designed specifically for senior citizens to provide them with a steady source of income.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM)<\/strong> initiative is providing comprehensive healthcare through Health and Wellness Centres.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It focuses on preventive, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative care, using multiple traditional health systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the opportunities?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Silver Economy: <\/strong>It refers to economic activities, goods, and services designed for the growing elderly population.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This demographic, particularly those aged 45-64 years, is considered the wealthiest, creating a lucrative market for products and services catering to their specific needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Health and Wellness Industry Growth: <\/strong>Healthcare accounts for <strong>one-third<\/strong> of the consumption by older adults and there is a significant opportunity for businesses in senior care, health services, and wellness sectors.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elder Care Services: <\/strong>The rising elderly population will increase the demand for elder care services such as home care assistance, nursing homes, retirement communities, and assisted living facilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Senior-Friendly Tourism:<\/strong> With more disposable income and time, the elderly population is likely to drive demand for senior-friendly travel and tourism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remarks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As India&#8217;s aging population increases, there is a critical need for solutions that promote <strong>healthy aging, financial security, and social inclusion<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leveraging advancements in health technology, infrastructure, and senior care services, the <strong>silver economy can transform aging into a dynamic opportunity<\/strong> for both economic growth and societal well-being.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2060190#:~:text=The%20UN%20General%20Assembly%20designated,%2C%20Self%2Dfulfillment%20and%20Dignity.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The International Day of Older Persons, is commemorated on 1 October each year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30277"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30278,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30277\/revisions\/30278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}