BETTER DAYS TO SENIOR CITIZENS.

The number of senior citizens in India is close to 80 million and is growing by the day. In another two decades, it is expected to touch 137 million, due to rising life expectancy. The burgeoning old age homes is enough indication that all is not well in the Indian family scenario. India is land of traditions, customs and rich culture. We were known for our respect and love for elders. Parent-child relationship bond is considered most sacred in India. When a child enters goes to school, the first thing he is taught is the verse from Taittiriya Upanishad that says, "Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava, Atithi devo bhava," [Let you be one who worships mother, father, teachers and guests as God.] This is something that everyone knows in India. Parents take lot of pains to grow their children and sacrifice a lot to upkeep their children and to help them to be in better position. In olden days, people used to live together in combined families. As per our culture it is duty of the son to look after his parents. Parents live with any one of their sons in their old age till their last breath.
Now, the Indian society seems changing very fast and so also its moral values. Family structure has seen sea changes. Combined families are getting divided into Nuclear families. Many people are not keeping or looking after their aged parents. Aged parents are either living alone or kept in old age homes.

Seeing the difficulties of old age parents and senior citizens Govt has enacted the act namely
“Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007” to provide for more effective provisions for the maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens guaranteed and recognized under the Constitution and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. A senior citizen including parent who is unable to maintain himself from his own earning or out of the property owned by him, shall be entitled to make an application under section 5 in case of— (i) parent or grand-parent, against one or more of his children not being a minor; (ii) a childless senior citizen, against such of his relative referred to in clause (g) of section 2.

If children or relatives, as the case may be, neglect or refuse to maintain a senior citizen being unable to maintain himself, the Tribunal may, on being satisfied of such neglect or refusal, order such children or relatives to make a monthly allowance at such monthly rate for the maintenance of such senior citizen, as the Tribunal may deem fit and to pay the same to such senior citizen as the Tribunal may, from time to time, direct. Appellate Tribunal for each district to hear the appeal against the order of the Tribunal. The State Government may establish and maintain such number of old age homes at accessible places, as it may deem necessary, in a phased manner, beginning with at least one in each district to accommodate in such homes a minimum of one hundred fifty senior citizens who are indigent.
Whoever, having the care or protection of senior citizen leaves, such senior citizen in any place with the intention of wholly abandoning such senior citizen, shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months or fine which may extend to five thousand rupees or with both.
Since there is no social security system in India like USA, this is one of the welcome move at least with the act senior citizens will live happily with dignity.