NATIONAL HELPLINE FOR SENIOR CITIZEN (14567)- ELDERLINE: HAS BEEN LAUNCHED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) was announced in 1999 to reaffirm the commitment to ensure the well-being of older persons. The Policy envisages State support to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and other needs of older persons, equitable share in development, protection against abuse and exploitation, and availability of services to improve the quality of their lives.
As compared to western world, in India, family still plays the role of the first institution to take care of its elderly members. Moreover, Government of India is implementing various schemes and programmes, through different Ministries and Departments for care and welfare of senior citizens. These include shelter, food, healthcare, financial security, social security, awareness, recreation etc. Details given at Annexure.
ANNEXURE
Government of India implements various schemes and programmes, through different Ministries and Departments for care and welfare of senior citizens. Details given below:
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment:
- Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC):
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements a Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) under which grants in aid are given for running and maintenance of Senior Citizens Homes (Old Age Homes)/ Continuous Care Homes, Mobile Medicare Units etc. to the Implementing Agencies (IAs) such as State Governments / Union Territory Administrations (through Registered Societies)/ Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) / Local bodies; Non-Governmental/Voluntary Organizations.
- RashtriyaVayoshriYojana (RVY):
RashtriyaVayoshriYojana (RVY) is a Central Sector Scheme funded from Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund. Under the Scheme of RVY, aids and assistive living devices are provided to senior citizens belonging to BPL category or those senior citizens who earn less than 15000/- per month and suffer from age related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and loco-motor disabilities. The aids and assistive devices viz. walking sticks, elbow crutches, walkers/crutches, tripods/quadpods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures and spectacles are provided to eligible beneficiaries, free of cost. The Scheme is being implemented by Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) which is a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- National Helpline for Senior Citizen (14567)- Elderline:
The Ministry has set up the National Helpline for Senior Citizen for senior citizen to address the grievance of the elders. The helpline has been launched across the country and has been dedicated to the Nation by the Hon’ble Vice President of India on the occasion of the International Day for Older Persons i.e. on 01st October, 2021. The Elder line offers services to the senior citizens through toll free number 14567.
- State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC):
Appreciating the critical and significant role of States/UTs, each State/UT is expected to plan and strategize taking into account their local considerations and frame their own State Action Plans for the welfare of their senior citizens. This State Action Plan may comprise a long-term strategy for five years as well as Annual Action Plans. Department of Social Justice and Empowerment shall release funds to the States/UTs for formulation and implementation of their State Action Plans.
- SAGE:
To promote out-of-the-box and innovative solutions for the commonly faced problems, innovative start-ups will be identified and encouraged for developing products, processes and services for the welfare of the elderly under this initiative. The selected start-ups/start-up ideas can be provided equity support of upto Rs.1 crore per project while ensuring that the total Government equity in the start-up should not exceed 49%. For this, the SAGE portal (http://sage.dosje.gov.in) has been launched on 04/06/2021.
- Under Umbrella Scheme of Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana, Ministry has included awareness generation/sensitization programmes with school/college students for strengthening Inter-generational bonding. It also aims to provide information and educational material to individuals, families and groups for better understanding of the ageing process so as to enable them to handle issues relating to it.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, shri A. Narayanaswamy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, today.
