UNIFORMITY IN AGE
OF SENIOR CITIZENS
The National
Policy on Older Persons announced by the Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment in the year 1999 recognizes a persons who has
attained the age of 60 plus as a senior citizen. However, for
extending facilities/ benefits/ concessions to the senior citizens,
different Ministries/ Departments concerned have taken their own
decision as regards the age criteria of senior citizens based
on commercial and other considerations. As per the railway concession
fare, the age for senior citizens is 60 years and for income tax
purposes a senior citizen has to be of 65 years and similarly
in the forthcoming LIC scheme the senior citizen has to be of
55 years.
The Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal Ministry responsible
for the welfare of the senior citizens. The Ministry has taken
up the matter of recognizing senior citizens as persons aged 60
years and above with the concerned Ministries/ Departments.
This was
stated by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment
Shri Nagmani in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
