And Miles to go before I sleep
Addressing the Age-crisis in India
As of 2019, over 139 million people living in India were aged over 60 which is over 10% of the country’s total population. The proportion of older people is expected to almost double to 19.5% in 2050 with 319 million people aged over 60. This means that every 1 in 5 Indians is likely to be a senior citizen. Only a quarter of people (24.1%) older than the statutory pensionable age in India receive an old-age pension (contributory, noncontributory or both). Over time, there will be fewer and fewer working-age people to provide economic support during old age with the old-age dependency ratio expected to double in the next few decades.
As the traditional Hindu joint family structure is dying due to the hustle culture and its demands on the younger generation. Economic disparity faced by the middle class with urbanisation in India and a rise in the cost of living adds a host of other problems which go unnoticed as the years roll by both small towns and their old inhabitants fade in memories of loved ones. Communication Design — Course ‘Dynamics of Social Communication — Mahi Sancheti moved by her elderly grandparents’ lonely status back home in Jaipur speculates a better future for all elderly’ pan India.
It’s Never too late
Mahi Sancheti speculates a hypothetical campaign designed to collaborate with Indian Railways, which is the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a total route length of 68,103 km (42,317 mi) as of 31 March 2022. It runs 13,169 passenger trains daily, on both long-distance and suburban routes, covering 7,325 stations across India.
The campaign is speculated to offer free tickets to every Indian Senior citizen and further a 20% discount to accompanying family members.
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is the nodal Ministry responsible for the welfare of Senior Citizens. It has framed the National Policy on Older Persons covering all concerns about the welfare of older persons. The National Policy on Older Persons recognizes a person aged 60 years and above as a senior citizen.
Indian joint families were considered to be strong, stable, close, resilient and enduring with a focus on family integrity, and family loyalty.
However, in a country of over one billion, almost every second elderly person suffers from loneliness, The condition is worse in urban regions, with 3,205 elderly people out of 5,000 feeling lonely. “In urban areas, 64.1% of elderly were found suffering from loneliness, whereas in rural areas 39.19% of elderly (3,919 elderly out of 10,000 rural elderly) claimed that they are suffering from loneliness. Indian society is collectivistic and promotes social cohesion and interdependence. The traditional Indian joint family, which follows the same principles of collectivism, has proved itself to be an excellent resource for the care of the mentally ill which is currently a huge area of concern with Gen Z’.
This speculative campaign encourages family members to travel together in a cost-effective manner keeping in mind the financial challenges of both the elderly and the Indian Middle-class / Lower income group families.
Government policies related to older people
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways- Reservation of two seats for senior citizens in the front row of the buses of the State Road Transport Undertakings. Some State Governments are giving fare concessions to senior citizens in the State Road Transport Undertaking buses and are introducing Bus Models, which are convenient to the elderly.
National policy on older people: The Department of Senior Citizens under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements programmes and services for senior citizens. The National Policy on Senior Citizens aims to encourage healthcare, safety and security, safe housing, and protected welfare. Health and care: The Twelfth Five Year Plan 2012–2017 aims for continued care across health facilities, to ensure health issues are addressed and cared for appropriately, with emphasised referral support. Raising awareness of various diseases and illnesses that older women are more susceptible to is important to ensure knowledge of risk factors and how to live healthily. Older people’s associations: The National Policy on Older People focuses on encouraging independence amongst the elderly, providing knowledge of resources and community involvement opportunities. Social pension: Whilst there is the provision of a state pension in India, only 17.4% of the population receives money from the scheme. 72.3% are still left with no pension at all. The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme provides those who are eligible after means-testing income and between the age of 60–79 with 200 Rupees per month. Those who are over 80 receive a fund of 500 Rupees a month. More information can be found on the Indian Government website here.
Age is Just a Number
Indian family systems in the light of the Asian collectivistic culture and in most sociological studies are classically considered large, patriarchal, collectivistic, joint families, harbouring three or more generations vertically and kith and kin horizontally. Such traditional families form the oldest social institution and have survived through ages and function as a dominant influence in the lives of their members. A turning point in our timeline, where inhabiting new ideologies and empowering individuals and society this speculative campaign formulates a new way to coexist ensuring new traditions are created as people feel they fulfil a purpose in their lifetime and the only numbers that matter are the number of miles they travel together with their loved ones.
Disclaimer: All creatives are hypothetical classroom projects. All rights reserved —2022- 2023
Creative Mentor: Utkarsha Malkar- Author | Design Thinker | Creator — A desire to understand the world and to improve it always remains at the core. Design is a managed process and my quest for knowledge is subject to an inquiry of the apparent, the imagined and the recalled. As I speculate and design, my liberty of self-expression is in direct correlation to my existence and knowledge.
