UN recognizes India As Aging Country

New Delhi, Oct 2, IRNA - With the UN recognizing India as an ageing country, the issue has become a major social challenge and the care and protection of the elderly should draw the attention of the centre, Prof A Henia of the North Eastern Hill University said Monday in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya state. "The phenomenon of ageing population are turning a major concern for the policy makers all over the world for both developed and developing countries during the last two decades. But the problem arising from it will have varied implications for different countries," she said at the three-day International Symposium on Aging at the University premises, pti reported. There has been a steady rise in the population of older persons in India over the past few decades. The life expectancy which was about 40 years in 1947 is now closer to 65 years. The same is expected to increase to 75 years by 2026, she said. Being the second largest elderly populated country in the world, there is a need to give more attention to the care and protection for the older persons, Henia said. The number of older persons in the population is expected to increase by more than double from 71 million in 2001 to 173 million in 2026, an increase in their share to the total population from 6.9 – 12.4 per cent, she quoted a government report as saying. “In such a condition, availability of advanced medical facilities, better quality of life and increased nutrition intake has contributed to this phenomenon of demographic aging,” the social scientist said. “The increase in the elderly population is going to be a cause of concern to the government of India in the succeeding plan. India has been already marked as aging country by UN,” she observed. Themed ‘Problems and prospects of elderly in today’s world’, the three day symposium which is also the 16th biennial conference of the Association of Gerontology in the country held at the North Eastern Hill University drew participants from Japan, Germany, USA and from hosts India./end