India: National Commission for elderly may soon be a reality
The ministry of social justice and welfare has proposed the formation of a national commission for senior citizens to better protect the rights of the elderly. India’s elderly population, 60 years and above, was close to 10.4 crore, according to the 2011 census. It is expected to touch 32 crore by 2050. The need for a senior citizens’ commission is tremendous, say activists, who have been demanding the formation of such a commission since 2010. On February 7, a Parliamentary standing committee report had recommended the formation of the commission for senior citizens.The draft bill for the National Commission for Senior Citizens lists the proposed commission’s responsibilities. These involve looking into matters of deprivation of senior citizens’ rights, taking suo moto cognisance of their human rights violations and making recommendations to relevant authorities to take action. The proposed commission will inspect old-age homes, prisons and remand homes to see if their rights are being violated.
Experts said that the commission should have teeth and all stake holders should be consulted before it’s formation. “While the number for elder abuse cases are rising especially in the rural areas, the Maintenance and Welfare Act for Senior Citizens, 2007 is yet to percolate to the last person. A commission will define the roles to be played by NGOs, police and the ministry and act as a nodal agency for redress of complaints,” said Sailesh Mishra, founder, Silver Innings Foundation.
Source/more: DNA/India.com