Title: Social, economic and health concerns for elderly in India: evidences from NSSO data
Authors: Sabitri Dutta
Addresses: DumDum Motijheel Rabindra Mahavidyalaya, 208/B/2, DumDum Road, Kolkata 700074, India
Abstract: The elderly population (ageing 60 and more) in India is projected to climb from 8% to 19% of total population between 2010 and 2050 (UNFPA and HelpAge International, 2012). This changing demographic profile in the country has thrown new challenges in the social and economic domains. This paper attempts to look into the general socio-economic profile of elderly population in India using NSSO 60th and 71st round dataset. It also examines the state of economic independence, perception about health and related challenges faced by the elderly. The abandonment and humiliation that they are facing should be avoided as much as possible. The study also presents an overview of India's recent and ongoing initiatives that provides support to the population aging and their families. It also recommends some policy initiatives that can address the issues related to the lack of securities and low social status of the elder population of India.
Keywords: elderly; population aging; economic demography; dependency ratio; work force participation; living arrangement; mobility; elder abuse; health perception; India.
International Journal of Management Practice, 2020 Vol.13 No.3, pp.352 - 372
Received: 08 Jun 2018
Accepted: 21 Feb 2019
Published online: 28 Apr 2020 *