Senior Citizen

According to the law, a "senior citizen" means any person being a citizen of India, who has attained the age of sixty years or above. A report released by the United Nations Population Fund and Help Age India suggests that India had 90 million elderly persons in 2011, with the number expected to grow to 173 million by 2026. Of the 90 million seniors, 30 million are living alone, and 90 per cent work for livelihood.

The Union government wants its ministries and departments and private agencies to adopt 60 as the age at which a person is classified a senior citizen. This is to address anomalies in extending benefits to the elderly. The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry is planning to bring in an amendment to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, to implement this change.

The National Policy on Older Persons was announced by the Government of India in 1999. It was a step in pursuance of the UN General Assembly Resolution 47/5 to observe 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons and in keeping with the assurances to older persons contained in the Constitution. The well-being of senior citizens is mandated in the Constitution of India under Article 41.