Human Rights and Ageing

A training programme on 'Human Rights and Ageing' was organized by the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development and Administration with support from the Commission in Pune from 8 - 9 July 2004.
Delivering the inaugural address, Smt. Sujata V. Manohar, Member of the Commission said that human rights of the elderly have assumed new importance because of the transformation that is taking place in the nation's demographic profile. The new societal order, which is now taking shape, she said, shows that the elderly are not receiving adequate support through the traditional support structure of the family. In addition, there are a number of factors that are leading to a situation where the young are increasingly unable or unwilling to have parents living with them. As a result, the elders in the family are exposed to emotional neglect and often lack physical and financial support.
While the Government of India had announced a national policy for older persons in January 1999, very little has been done on the ground to implement this policy, she said. Justice Manohar also stressed on the vulnerability of elder women especially when they lose their life partners and become widows.
Looking to the nature of complaints received and the need to act to protect the human rights of the elderly, she said, the Commission held two rounds of discussions with non-governmental organizations working for the rights of the older persons. Some of the suggestions, which emerged from the discussions include

· Need for old age homes in every area.
· Every major hospital/district hospital and primary health center must have a separate wing for older persons and hospice for the terminally ill, funded by the Government.
· Provision for separate queues for older persons in hospitals.
· Medical insurance cover for older persons beyond 70 years till death.
· Steps to be drawn up by various States to check abuse of the elderly.
· Provision in the Indian Penal Code to make abuse of the elderly an offence punishable under the law.
· Provision for pension for older persons.
· Website by the Government providing information relating to older persons along the lines of `ELDERNET'.

There were 27 participants at the programme, which included officers from IAS, State Civil Services and NGOs/CBOs.