Editorial . . . . . . 

India is regarded as a young nation. However, according to UN estimates, the number of Indians over 60 will double by 2050 and account for over 19.6% of the country’s population. According to the National Statistical Organization, it is anticipated to expand by 41% during a ten-year period to 194 million in 2031 from 138 million in 2021. According to demographic trends, and projections provided by the government and other authorities, ageing should be one of India’s top objectives. This warrants an immediate and serious political and policy discussion for a number of reasons. The world’s ageing population is a contributing factor to an increasing number of health issues. As a result, pressure will likely be put on the social security and welfare systems. Health is described by the World Health Organization as “a condition of the whole physical, mental, and social well-being and not only the absence of illness or infirmity” (WHO). In order to promote health and wellbeing as a lifelong process, WHO proposed the idea of “healthy ageing” in 2015.In addition to preserving physical and mental health, this involved providing a supportive environment. There needs to be more attention on health management because it is utterly absent in India, especially with an ageing population in a decade or more. Every person can have equitable access to healthcare. Older people receive poor service coverage. The degree of social security coverage and access to health services for the old is very low, given the fact that we can be certain that our elderly population will grow significantly over the ensuing decades. There are numerous programmes for the elderly, but they are superficial and lack the substance and funding to have any real influence. Only approximately 20% of the population in the country is covered by social security, compared to a 25% coverage rate for health insurance. Additionally, 85% of pension recipients utilise their pension to pay for their meals, other daily expenses, and medical care. 10% (about 10 million) of people over 60 have physical immobility, and 10% are admitted to hospitals each year. Over 70-year-olds makeup, 50% of the population, and 50% of them have one or more chronic illnesses. In comparison to 22.1 per 1,000 of the general population in the 2011 census, the disability rate was 51.8 per 1,000 for people aged 60 and over and 84.1 per 1,000 for people aged 80 and over. Additional data recently released by the Indian organisation Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) points to a similar situation. Given the reality of an older population that is quickly expanding in India (at a faster rate in some states), the poor financial status of the elderly, and the lack of financial support for programmes in development, we need high-level political involvement in this issue.

On this front, there is a lot to learn from nations like Taiwan and China. Inadequate skills among the youth could lead to a situation similar to the one we are currently facing if ageing issues are not addressed now with proactive and progressive policies and programmes at the national, state/UT levels, with the involvement of corporations and civil society. This situation should have been addressed with seriousness periods earlier. Planning for the future decades should start right away. India cannot afford to allow its elderly to disappear from the national psyche.