Demographic Dividend’ of Elders

Source: The post “‘Demographic Dividend’ of Elders” has been created, based on ‘Demographic Dividend’ of Elders” published in “The Hindu Business” on 18th December 2025.

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-2-Governance

Context: India’s demographic policy has largely focused on the youth dividend, while neglecting the potential contribution of experienced and capable elderly citizens. A subset of retirees, termed “rewirees,” represents an untapped demographic dividend as they seek meaningful and productive engagement after retirement.

Meaning and Significance of Rewirees

1. Rewirees are retired individuals who wish to reorient their lives by undertaking work that is different from their earlier careers.
2. Rewirees possess valuable experience, maturity, and problem-solving ability, which distinguishes them from younger workers.
3. The engagement of rewirees does not reduce employment opportunities for the youth because their skills, expectations, and work roles differ significantly.
4. Many rewirees are willing to work for lower wages or even voluntarily, especially in socially meaningful roles.
5. The primary limitation of rewirees is their reluctance to accept rigid and physically punishing work schedules.

Retired Defence Personnel as a Key Resource

1. Retired Defence personnel form a highly prepared and immediately usable group of rewirees.
2. Senior retired officers have expressed willingness to work on civilian-led social impact initiatives in collaboration with civilians.
3. These senior officers can mobilise large numbers of retired Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs).
4. Many JCOs and NCOs retire at relatively young ages ranging from 45 to 54 years, which is too early for complete withdrawal from productive work.
5. Retired Defence personnel are widely distributed across small towns and villages, increasing their relevance for grassroots development.

Limitations of Existing Rehabilitation Mechanisms

1. Existing pre-retirement training and job fairs organised by the Defence forces mainly connect retirees with urban corporate employment.
2. Such initiatives fail to reach retired JCOs and NCOs living in small towns and rural areas where corporate jobs are scarce.
3. Therefore, alternative mechanisms are required to utilise the productive potential of rural Defence rewirees.

Rewirees as Agents of Local Change

1. Social impact organisations can engage Defence rewirees as agents of social, economic, and technical transformation in their local areas.
2. The participation of family members, especially women, can significantly enhance the developmental impact of such initiatives.
3. Rewirees require practical and hands-on training tailored to local needs and organisational objectives.
4. The involvement and endorsement of senior Defence rewirees would assure legitimacy and motivate participation at the grassroots level.
5. Senior officers can provide guidance remotely while making periodic field visits to maintain trust and effectiveness.

Implementation Strategy

1. The integration of rewirees should begin with small-scale and low-cost pilot projects.
2. Such initiatives can be gradually expanded with necessary modifications based on experience and local conditions.
3. The disciplined background of Defence personnel can ensure accountability and sustainability of these efforts.

Conclusion: By productively engaging retired Defence personnel, India can effectively harness a neglected rewiree demographic dividend. This approach can accelerate inclusive economic and social development without undermining youth employment Success in this model can pave the way for systematically utilising the broader civilian rewiree population.