The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment aims to launch a Poshan Abhiyan for the Elderly, to provide nutrition support to the indigent elders, who are not staying in the Old Age Homes and are victims of severe malnutrition, by focusing on procuring locally available healthy food material and serving hot-cooked mid-day meals. The Gram Panchayats and Urban Municipalities are the implementing agencies of the Scheme. The funding for the Scheme is from the Senior Citizens Welfare Fund.
According to the ‘Report of Government of India’s Technical Group on Population Projection for India and States’ brought out in July, 2020, till the year 2036, population of senior citizens would be 22.74 crore (14.9%) .
To ensure dignified ageing, Government of India has been implementing schemes and programmes under ‘National Action Plan for Senior Citizens’, an Umbrella Scheme for Senior Citizens, which inter alia includes financial security, healthcare and nutrition, shelter and welfare, protection of life and property, active and productive ageing and awareness generation.This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
