Socio-Economic Dimensions of Old Age Security in India: With Special Reference to Karnataka

Estimates indicate that the elderly population (60+ years) of India will increase to 100 million by 2013 and 198 million by 2030. A majority of the elderly are in the rural areas and nearly 30 per cent of them are below the poverty line, making the provision of old age support highly justifiable but equally challenging. Among the elderly population, the share of female and status of widowhood are increasing with age. In this context, the paper broadly reviews the socio-economic dimensions of aged and the social security measures required to safeguard the interests of the growing elderly population in India and in Karnataka, using the available data from Census, NSSO and other secondary sources. Taking the Karnataka situation as an illustration, the need for evolving various policy interventions to strengthen the well-being of the aged is emphasised here.