NHRC, India 7.113 As per the Population Census of 2011, there are nearly 10.38 crore elderly persons (aged 60 years or above) in India, including 5.27 crore females and 5.11 crore males. Evidence shows that the share and size of elderly population was on the rise and this trend was attributed to factors, such as increasing longevity, improved health care facilities, economic well-being etc. With this increase, the old age dependency ratio, i.e., the number of persons in the age group 60+ years per 100 persons in the age group of 15-59 years, has also increased. As per the report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, ‘Elderly in India (2016)’, the old age dependency ratio as of 2011 was 14.2 per cent in India. As per the recent studies, the share of population over the age of 60 is projected to increase from eightpercent in 2015 to 19 percent in 2050 by the end of the century; the elderly will constitute nearly 34 percent of the total population in the country. 7.114 Population ageing and increasing old age dependency ratio has profound social, economic, and political implications that make the lives of elderly vulnerable. While some elderly people continue living their lives as regular, many of them are victims of multiple forms of discrimination, prominent among these being — poverty, violence, abuse, insecurity, poor health and well-being, lower earning capacity, limited availability of old-age pensions, threats and limited control over assets and property, and unequal participation in private and public decision-making. The challenge is to ensure their well-being and that they are able to lead secure, healthy and comfortable lives. 7.115 The well-being of elderly persons is mandated in the Constitution of India under Article 41, which states that, “The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provisions for securing the right to public assistance in cases of old age.” Pursuant to this, the Government of India started the Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP) in 1992 [later renamed as Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) and revised in 2018] and enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act in 2007 for the protection of human rights of the elderly. 7.116 Acknowledging the issues faced by the elderly, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is committed to protect the rights of elderly persons. It regularly investigates cases of violation of the rights of elderly, reviews existing legislative framework and implementation of schemes, undertakes meetings with various stakeholders on issues concerning them and entrusts research projects to make recommendations towards protection of rights of the elderly. Further, the Commission regularly publishes booklets, manuals and journals, etc. to create awareness about the rights of the elderly. 7.117 Illustrative cases 1 Non-payment of terminal payment to the retired employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation for paucity of funds (Case No. 3451/30/2/2017) i. This case related to a complaint received from Shri Vinod Kumar Khurana, a retired employee of Health Department, East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), alleging that his pension, gratuity and commutation money was not released. ANNUAL REPORT 116 2021-22