NEW DELHI: The tradition of respecting and taking care of elders is healthy and needs to be maintained in the country, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Monday while conferring national awards to senior citizens and institutions for doing outstanding work for welfare of people. Presenting Vayoshreshtha Samman to senior citizens at a function organised by the ministry of social justice and empowerment, Kovind also praised the Narendra Modi government for its initiatives for the welfare of senior citizens.
The President also mentioned some senior citizen schemes of the government such as the National Programme for healthcare of the elderly wherein specialised services will be provided for their treatment. Under the National Health Insurance Scheme implemented with the help of State Governments, additional health insurance is being provided, President Kovind said.
The President also referred to the 2011 census data to show that life expectancy of senior citizens in the country has improved over the years. He said, “According to the last census, the population of senior citizens in our country was approximately 10.5 crore, which was about 8.5 percent of our total population.
The average life expectancy has increased in recent decades due to improvement in health services and other reasons. It is estimated that by the year 2050, the number of senior citizens will be approximately 19 percent of our total population.” Both the union minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot and minister of state for social justice and empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar were also present at the function.