What happened: welfare delivery for senior citizens strengthened under AVYAY

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported that the Government of India is implementing welfare measures for senior citizens under Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY), announced through a Lok Sabha written reply by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri B. L. Verma. The Government described AVYAY delivery through a set of programme verticals that include institutional and community-level care support, state action planning, free assistive devices, a dedicated national helpline, and training of elderly care professionals.

Background and earlier position

AVYAY delivery is anchored by the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) and the State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC). IPSrC grant support runs through eligible organisations operating senior citizen homes and service delivery units, while SAPSrC enables State Governments and Union Territory administrations to implement interventions aligned to local needs. Policy framing for older persons also continues to draw on the National Policy on Older Persons, 1999.

What changed now (reported strengthening and expansion through components)

The written reply highlighted reported coverage and ongoing implementation across AVYAY components, including beneficiary counts since FY 2021-22 or since inception of specific programmes. It also added a workforce and innovation lens: the Ministry implements PM-SPECIAL for training geriatric caregivers (since FY 2023-24) and SAGE for equity support to eligible start-ups (since inception), alongside the ongoing Elderline helpline service.

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