Ageing Population in South India- Concerns and Way Forward- Explained Pointwise

There are emerging concerns in South India regarding the fall in fertility rates and its ageing population. Recently, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that his government is working on a law to incentivize families to have more children. There are concerns amongst the Southern states that smaller populations might reduce their political representation in Parliament after future constituency delimitation.

What are the latest trends on the ageing population in South India?

Increase in the old age-dependence ratio- The old age-dependence ratio denotes the number of persons aged 60-plus per 100 persons in the age group of 15-59 years.

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MOSPI) ‘Elderly in India 2021‘ report, the old-age dependency ratio is increasing in India. The old age-dependence ratio has increased from 10.9% in 1961 to 14.2% in 2011 and is projected to increase to 15.7% in 2021 and 20.1% in 2031 respectively.

Latest Projections regarding the regional variation in ageing population

With the 2021 Census delayed, the latest population projections from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare show a rapidly ageing population across India. According to the projections, the percentage of people aged 60 and above is expected to have a significant rise in Southern states like Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, where the fertility rate dropped earlier than in Northern states like Uttar Pradesh.

Why is the ageing population a cause of concern for Southern States?

1. Economic Burden on the state exchequer- A larger elderly population increases the dependency ratio (fewer working-age individuals needing to support a growing number of retirees). A rapidly ageing population will put pressure on state resources for the support of the elderly population.

2. Reduction in Labour productivity- The rapid ageing of population, leads to a smaller proportion of working age population. This can potentially lead to labour shortages and reduce the economic productivity of the South Indian states.

3. Concerns regarding the lower political representation- Southern states of India have transitioned to lower fertility rates earlier. There are fears that they may lose parliamentary seats after constituency delimitation, while Northern states with larger populations could gain more seats.

4. Increased Healthcare Costs- There are concerns of increase in the pressure on the healthcare systems in Southern states, as it would require investment in geriatric care, hospitals, and nursing facilities.

5. Inadequate Infrastructure for Elderly Care- Many Southern states lack the sufficient institutional support to cater to the growing elderly population, such as assisted living facilities or elderly homes.

What is the need for taking care of the Elderly Population in India?

1. Channelization of experience- Elderly peoples carry an immense personal and professional experience. We need to channelize these experiences by taking care of the elderly population.

2. Generational Link- The elderly citizens provide a vital generational link for the upcoming generation, such as providing support and stability to families and society at large. For ex- Grandparents in joint families provide a crucial link for transferring values and morals to the younger generation.

3. Social Harmony- The deep cultural impressions and social experiences of the elderly population in India provide the necessary buffer against intolerance, violence and hate crimes.

4. Moral and ethical responsibility- It is the moral and ethical responsibility of the society to care for its people beyond their prime. This helps in reciprocating their lifetime of physical, social, emotional, and economic investment in the society.

What are the Challenges Faced by Elderly Population in India?

Social Challenges

1. Social Neglect- Elderlies are increasingly being neglected by the younger generation due to various social reasons such as western education, globalisation, nuclear family structure.

2. Abuse of the elderly population- Elderlies in India face various forms of abuse such as physical, sexual, psychological or financial. They suffer from emotional harm that emerges from verbal or emotional abuse.

3. Intersection of Caste and Elderly- The lower caste elderly have to keep on working for livelihood even at old age due to financial issues. While for the upper caste elderlies, good jobs become less available, and they hesitate to take menial jobs, which creates a feeling of ‘worthlessness’ amongst them.

4. Feminisation of ageing- The life of elderly widows is riddled with stringent moral codes of the society. Social bias against elderly women results in unjust allocation of resources, neglect, abuse, exploitation, gender-based violence, lack of access to basic services and prevention of ownership of assets.

Economic and Financial Challenges

1. Lack of Income & Poor financial status- According to PFRDA report on Financial Security of India’s elderly, a large elderly population which remains outside the pension safety net. Furthermore, the pension provided to them remains very low for their proper sustenance.

2. Low funding by the government- India spends only about 1% of its gross domestic product on pensions. India’s income support systems in their current form remain incapable of catering to the old age population.

3. Lack of housing and other basic amenities- The housing available to a majority of the senior citizens are sometimes inappropriate and unsuitable to their requirement.

Health Issues and Challenges

1. Rise in age-related chronic illness- According to the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) in 2021, One in five elderly persons in India has mental health issues and around 75 per cent of them suffer from a chronic disease.

2. Increasing need for geriatric care- Increased health-related expenses for the treatment of diseases like Non-Communicable diseases, cataract, hearing loss etc. creates financial problem for the elderly population.

What Should be the Way Forward in addressing the concerns of ageing problem of South Indian States?

1. Reduce the obsession with pro-natalist policies- Countries that have tried financial incentives or policies to increase birth rates have seen limited success. The model of Scandinavian countries of providing strong family and childcare support and gender equality measures, can be followed by the Southern states.

2. Addressing the Internal Migration- Internal migration from Northern to Southern states, can help balance the working-age population in Southern states. States like US have benefitted from the pro-immigration policies, which has helped sustain economic growth and labour productivity.

3. Formalization of caregiving economy- According to a NITI Aayog report, healthcare offered at home can replace up to 65 per cent of unnecessary hospital visits and reduce hospital costs by 20 per cent. Well-trained caregivers possessing empathetic outlook towards elderly need to be provided formal and better work place conditions. Recognition of  “home” as a place for providing care and as a “place of work” for caregivers will be the first step towards elderly care.

4. Comprehensive policy on home based care- The Southern states must draft a comprehensive policy for streamlining of vocational training, nomenclature, roles, and career progression of the caregivers. It must also streamline the registry of caregivers, ensure transparency and accountability and establish grievance redressal mechanisms.

5. Replication of Switzerland’s time bank initiative- Under this initiative, the younger generation start to save ‘time’ by taking care of senior citizens. Later, they can use the saved ‘time’ when they get old, sick, or in need of someone to take care of them. This initiative can be used by the South Indian States.