National Policy On Older Persons

The Review Committee of the National Policy on Older Persons, of which Dr Sheilu Sreenivasan is a Member, is working to meet the deadline of May 31

On 28 January 2010, the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment issued a circular setting up a Review Committee to review the National Policy of Older Persons (NPOP) which was announced in the year 1999 "in view of the changing needs of senior citizens in the country over the past decade."

• Mohini Giri, Chariperson
• M M Sabharwal, Member
• K R Gangadharan, Member
• Dr Sheilu Sreenivasan, Member
• Representatives of the following Central Ministries, not below the rank of Joint Secretary:
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Member
• Ministry of Rural Development, Member
• Ministry of Finance, Member
• Ministry of Homes Affairs, Member
• Ministry of Women and Child Development, Member
• 6. Secretaries in charge of welfare of senior citizens of five states - one from each region to be nominated separately
• 7. Joint Secretary (SD) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Member Secretary

• To assess the present status of various issues concerning senior citizens in general, and implementation of NPOP, 1999, in particular, and
• To draft a new National Policy on Older Person, keeping in view the emerging trends in demographic, socio-economic, technological and other relevant fields.
• To submit the new draft policy to the government by 31 May 2010.

What exactly is the need for an NPOP? According to the policy statement itself, "There has for several years been a demand for a policy statement by the state towards its senior citizens so that they do not face an identity crisis and know where they stand in the overall national perspective. The need has been expressed at different forums where ageing issues has been deliberated. The statement, by indicating the principles underlying the policy, the directions, the needs that will be addressed and the relative roles of the government and non-government institutions, is expected to facilitate carving out of respective areas of operations, and action in the direction of a humane, age-integrated society."

• A. The elderly as a huge reserve of human resource: It says, "Close to six-tenths of the population 60-69 years can be expected to be in reasonably good physical and mental health, free of serious disability and capable of leading an active life. About one-third of the population 70-79 can also be expected to be fit for a reasonably active life."
• B. Due to the operation of several factors, the position of a large number of older persons has become vulnerable due to which they cannot be taken for granted that their children will be able to look after them when they need care in old age, specially in view of the longer life span implying an extended period of dependency and higher costs to meet health and other needs.
• C. Industrialization, urbanization, education and exposure to life style in developed countries bring in changes in values and life styles. Much higher costs of bringing up and educating children and pressures for gratification of their desires affects transfer of shares of income for the care of parents.
• D. Due to shortage of space in dwellings in urban areas and high rents, migrants prefer to leave their parents in their native place. Changing roles and expectations of women, their concepts of privacy and space, desire not to be encumbered by caring responsibilities of old people for long periods, career ambitions, and employment outside the home implies considerably reduced time for care-giving
.

The NPOP thus is an acknowledgement, for the first time in a formal way by the government of India, that the elderly have their own needs and that it is the duty of the state to address these needs so that the distress of senior citizens is reduced.