Govt releases Quality of Life for Elderly Index
Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council launches the Index
Quality of Life for Elderly Index was released by Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). The Index has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness and it sheds light on an issue often not mentioned-problems faced by the elderly.
The report identifies the regional patterns of ageing across the Indian states and assesses the overall ageing situation in India. The report presents a deeper insight into how well India is doing to support the well-being of its ageing population.
The Index framework includes four pillars: financial well-being, social well-being, health system and income security, and eight sub-pillars: economic empowerment, educational attainment and employment, social status, physical security, basic health, psychological well being, social security and enabling environment.
The index broadens the way we understand the needs and opportunities of the elderly population in India. It goes far beyond the adequacy of pensions and other forms of income support, which, though critical, often narrows policy thinking and debate about the needs of this age group. The index highlights that the best way to improve the lives of the current and future generations of older people is by investing in health, education and employment for young people today.
Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are top-scoring regions in aged and relatively aged states, respectively. Chandigarh and Mizoram are top-scoring regions in Union Territory and North-East States category. The aged states refer to states with an elderly population of more than five million, whereas relatively aged states refer to states with an elderly population of less than five million.