Oldage Laws in India

Oldage Laws in India

What is growing old? 

It is a transformation that a human being goes through in his lifetime. In other words, a human being grows from young to old and by the time he attains his chair of a senior citizen, He is embedded with a pool of experiences, difficulties, knowledge, etc. 

But the problem is that most of them are ignorant or unfamiliar about their rights as senior citizens.

Therefore, After several attempts made by the U.N. General Assembly in 1991, 18 principles have been taken up for the senior citizens which are grouped into majorly 5 bundles namely:

• Independence
• Participation
• Care
• Self-fulfillment
• Dignity

Also notably, 1st October has been declared as International day of older persons.

Some of the measures taken by India in preserving the Old aged people of our country are as follows:

1. Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007-It is a legislation initiated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India and attempts to address the problems of the elderly population of our country in various ways.
2. Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 125(1)(2)- It says that if the parents are unable to earn their livelihood and survive, then the children having enough monetary terms are supposed to take care of their parents.
3. Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act,1956, Section 20- It says that the Hindu sons and daughters are supposed to take care of their parents if they are unable to maintain themselves.
4. Constitution of India, Directive Principle of State Policy, Article 41 states that “the state shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want.

Oldage Laws in India: conclusion

The government of India has left no stones unturned to provide for the protection and maintenance of the older section of the society by enabling various schemes and benefits for them. Another aspect is the increasing crime rate against the senior section of our society which is very worrisome and special awareness programmes should be arranged for them to aware them against all the evils. This can be done by proper police patrolling and strict laws against the criminals who target the senior citizens of the society.