Page 24 - NIS English 1-15 June 2023

Cover Story Senior Citizen

National Program for Health Care of the Elderly

Under this program, primary and secondary care Railway facilities for senior citizens
OPDs, 10-bed wards, physiotherapy, and laboratory The computerized reservation system automatically
services have been sanctioned in 713 health districts. allots lower berths to women who are 45 years of
On the other hand, under the National Senior Citizen
age or older. 6-7 seats per coach in sleeper class,
Health Scheme, 2016, for the third level of services,
4-5 in AC 3 tier, and 3-4 lower berths in AC 2 tier
approval was given for Regional Service Centers in
are reserved for senior citizens, women above 45
Medical Colleges of 18 states in which OPD services
years of age, and pregnant women. A minimum of 7
are being provided. While two geriatric care centers
seats are reserved in general class coaches of Zonal
have been developed in the country, a 200 bedded
Railways. There is a separate counter for senior
geriatric care and rehabilitation center has been
citizens at the reservation centers.
approved at PGI Chandigarh.
Monitoring of action plans made for senior citizens up to the ministerial level

At the national level, a mechanism was created to monitor the action plan prepared for senior citizens so that the
plan, project, or program could be implemented in a time-bound manner. For this, a steering committee, a project
management committee, and a screening committee have been set up under the chairmanship of the secretary/
additional secretary. The representatives of the Project Monitoring Committee personally carry out the inspection. The
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment monitors the annual progress of the Action Plan on Senior Citizens.

government has prioritised senior citizens in
all campaigns, from relief to vaccination, to
prevent global epidemics such as COVID.
The key objectives of the schemes are to
improve the quality of life of older people by Earlier, senior citizens had to
providing them with basic necessities such as personally go and give proof of being
shelter, food, medical care, and recreational alive, but now, making it easier, the
opportunities, as well as to encourage system of digital life certificates
creative and active old age through large- has been started. Apart from this,
scale capacity building. Elders deserve our the government also provides tax
respect and attention, so elders are treated incentives to senior citizens. The
with special care in Indian culture. basic limit of income tax exemption
This is also appropriate because their life has been increased to Rs 3 lakh.
experiences, memories, and perspectives are Along with this, the deduction limit on
valuable for the lessons that young people can interest has also been increased from
learn. And if older people are not encouraged Rs 10,000 earlier to Rs 50,000. That
to share the skills and knowledge they have is, now no tax is levied on interest
gained throughout their lives, the entire up to Rs 50,000 received from the
culture suffers. deposited amount.
In such a scenario, the younger generation
should be obligated to the older generations - Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

22 New India Samachar June 1-15, 2023