3-Jun-2021: Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot to launch tomorrow SAGE( Senior-care Ageing Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal to support India’s elderly
With the objective of focusing on the needs of India’s fast-rising elderly population, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will launch tomorrow Senior care Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) project to select, support and create a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups. The initiative will be launched by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot in the presence of MoS, MSJE, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria in New Delhi. Start-ups can apply for being a part of SAGE through a dedicated portal, which will also be launched tomorrow.
The start-ups will be selected on the basis of innovative products and services, which they should be able to provide across sectors such as health, housing, care centres, apart from technological access linked to finances, food and wealth management, and legal guidance. The SAGE portal has been prepared and finalised in record time by Mr. Chandrasekhar Buddha, CEO, NEAT, M/o Education along with Dr. Elengovan, Assistant Innovation Director, M/o Education.
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will act as a facilitator, enabling the elderly to access the products through these identified start-ups. India’s elderly population is on the rise, and as per surveys, the share of elders, as a percentage of the total population in the country, is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 to almost 12.5% by 2026, and surpass 19.5% by 2050. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to create a more robust elder care ecosystem in India, especially in the post-COVID phase.
The SAGE project is shaped on the recommendations of the empowered expert committee (EEC) report on start-ups for elderly.
23-Mar-2021: Poshan Abhiyan for Senior Citizens
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.
23-Mar-2021: Benefits of Social Security Schemes to Senior Citizens
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated the scheme of National Action Plan for Senior Citizens (NAPSrC) with effect from 01.04.2020 which has a sub-scheme of Programmes for National Institute of Social Defence for Senior Citizens (NISDSrC). The NISDSrC includes programme inter-alia “Awareness Generation and Sensitization Programme” which has the following activities :-
- Special campaigns to spread awareness on mental health issues.
- Conducting awareness campaigns on all aspects such as provisions of Maintenance and Welfare of Parents Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act. 2007.
- Positive attitude towards the elderly vulnerabilities of senior citizens including awareness on various welfare schemes for senior citizens.
- Training and capacity building of communities/families on geriatric care.
- Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material on self-care, nutritional needs and information on government schemes etc.
The Department has also launched the scheme of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana in 2017 under which physical aids and assistive living devices are provided to Senior Citizens suffering from age related disability/infirmity so as to restore near normalcy in their bodily functions. The prospective beneficiaries in each district are identified by a team of Doctors/Technicians/Other professionals to assess their needs and to prescribe the requisite assistive living devices the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), the implementing agency, in collaboration with the respective distribution after making wide publicity regarding the assessment camps.
As per the information received from Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare, as per Rule 54 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, Family Pension Scheme, 1964, has been introduced which allows payment of pension for life to the eligible dependent family member of a Central Government servant/pensioners who dies while in service/after retirement. Salient features of the scheme are as under:-
- Payable to the families of - Those who entered Government before 1st January 2004 Provisionally to those who entered after 31st December, 2003 and died while in service.
- Family pension at ordinary rate: 30% of the last pay drawn. However, enhanced Rate 50% of the last pay drawn is paid to the eligible family members for 10 years on death of Government servant while in service and for 7 years on the death of the pensioner or up to the date of 67 years of age had he/she survived.
Family pension is paid from the date next to the date of death of the Government servant/pensioner.
- Minimum Family Pension is Rupees 9000/- per month and maximum Family Pension Rupees 1, 25,000/ per month at enhanced rate & Rupees 75,000 at ordinary rate.
- Family pension payable to spouse, till death or remarriage. However, in respect of family members other than spouse, subject to income criterion i.e. minimum of family pension + dearness relief thereon. Childless widow even after her remarriage Children, including Children from illegitimate marriage and adopted ones, further subject to age/marital/disability criteria. Dependent parents and dependent disabled siblings are also eligible for family pension.
- All children below 25 years of age are eligible for family pension. However, in case of a disabled children and Unmarried/divorced/widowed daughters above 25 years of age are also eligible.
The benefit of Family pension under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 has been extended to NPS employees vide OM 38/41/06-P&PW (E) dated 5.5.2009 in case of death and who are discharged on invalidation/disablement, otherwise CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, is not applicable to NPS employees.