| India has proclaimed itself as a welfare state and | | | | the senior citizen who gifted away his or her |
| of course it has also introduced social security | | | | immovable property. Though the Act suggests |
| schemes like 'payment of pension' etc to the | | | | for the establishment of homes for rehabilitation |
| retiring government employees which costs the | | | | of the aged, it does not make any monetary |
| coffers of the states as well as the central | | | | provision for them and the homes for the aged |
| government considerably. Some State | | | | are left to the initiatives of the individuals. Despite |
| Governments like Tamil Nadu has also introduced | | | | of its flaws, the act is a step in the right direction. |
| welfare schemes for payment of 'old age pension' | | | | Senior citizens have also been extended with |
| and 'widow pension' etc, in the unorganised sector | | | | some other concessions and benefits by the |
| to rescue the aged people from their financial | | | | Indian Government. Their income-tax ceiling has |
| doldrums to some extent. But, these payments | | | | been recently enhanced by the Finance Ministry, |
| are being made selectively only to the people who | | | | to Rs 2,25,000/- Indian Railways has offered 50 |
| have no dependants to look after them. But in | | | | % concession in ticket fares for senior citizens. |
| practice, the party people mostly misappropriate | | | | The Courts are giving preference to the senior |
| these funds and manage to get them either for | | | | citizens in the disposal of the cases as quickly as |
| their party people or relatives etc and most of | | | | possible. But all these concessions are availed only |
| the deserving cases, are simply ignored and | | | | by a negligible percentage of people in the urban |
| neglected. | | | | areas. Similarly, the Sixth pay commission report |
| The retired and the aged peoples have been | | | | recently submitted by Justice Srikrishna has |
| given a separate nomenclature in the Indian | | | | announced some enhanced pension to a section |
| Society called 'the Senior Citizens' and the people | | | | of the senior citizens on attaining the age of 80, |
| who are in the age group of post 65 are generally | | | | 85, 90. 95, and 100, which is in practice available |
| considered as senior citizens. The people who are | | | | to only a handful of people, among the pensioners. |
| above 70 are septuagenarians, above 80 are | | | | The Senior citizens living in the rural areas in India |
| Octogenarians and above 90 are nonagenarians. | | | | does not even know that they are senior citizens |
| When we compare the total strength of the | | | | and they are all the cursed people on the earth. |
| pensioners, with the total strength of the senior | | | | They suffer from senility, immobility, lacking in |
| citizens in India, it is only a very small percentage | | | | confidence, lacking in basic amenities like food, |
| and forms only a handful of people. They are | | | | dress and shelter and they are forsaken by their |
| converged mostly in the urban areas and the bulk | | | | own wards, uncared for , yearn for love and |
| of the aged people who are senior citizens are | | | | affection and they suffer in silence. |
| mostly in the rural and semi-urban areas, who | | | | The most serious aspect that remains to be |
| mostly suffer from senility and remain uncared | | | | addressed as far as the Senior Citizens in India |
| for. However, the Indian Government had been | | | | are concerned is the rank disrespect, discourtesy |
| under a long period of hibernation as far as the | | | | shown towards them by one and all and simply |
| senior citizens are concerned. | | | | they are treated and considered as just |
| Only in the year,2007,the Government of India | | | | superfluous elements in the society. But it is an |
| had at last realized the urgent need of doing | | | | irony that our politicians who are at the helm of |
| something for the cause of the senior citizens and | | | | affairs, in the government or at the party |
| enacted the Senior Citizens Act, 2007, the first of | | | | system whether it be Congress I or BJP or the |
| its kind in India. The act enables the senior citizens | | | | Communist parties, the decision makers are the |
| to proceed against their dependants who fail to | | | | senior citizens in the respective parties and the |
| look after them and claim maintenance from | | | | respect they command and enjoy is |
| them. The act also provides for a stringent | | | | unquestionable. |
| provision for imposing a fine of upto Rs 5,000/- | | | | Hence, whether it is an organization or a party or |
| and imprisonment of up to six months, to the | | | | a village or an association, there must be a |
| dependants who fail to take care of those senior | | | | orientation class to the youngsters to change their |
| citizens. Above all the Act provides for yet | | | | attitude towards the senior citizens of a country |
| another significant provision of canceling the gift | | | | which is known for its culture, heritage and many |
| by a senior citizen, given to his or her ward or | | | | a flourishing civilizations. |
| legal heir, in case of his or her failure to look after | | | | |