Scope of the scheme is to implement Section 19 and 20 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. Section 19 of the Act inter alia states that 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. The State Government may, prescribe a scheme for management of old age homes, including the standards and various types of services to be provided by them which are necessary for medical care and means of entertainment to the inhabitants of such homes.

1. D R . A N J A L A T C H I M U T H U K U M A R A N
V I C E P R I N C I P A L
E R A C O L L E G E O F N U R S I N G
S A R F R A Z G A N J
L U C K N O W - 2 2 6 0 0 3
Government Schemes for the
Benefit of Senior Citizen in India

2. List of government scheme
 International Day of Older Persons.
 Varishta Pension Bima Yojana.
 Health Advisory for Elderly Population of India
during COVID19 Pandemic.
 National Awards for Senior Citizens.
 Jeevan Pramaan.
 Sankalp platform for pensioners.
 Anubhav platform for retired government
employees.
 Digital Life certificate at your door-step.

3. Introduction
 Elderlies are a treasure of knowledge and experience for the
youngsters as well as the economy at large. As life expectancy
improves, the geriatric population in India is expected to
witness a boom. According to statistics, by 2050, the elderly
population will account for around a quarter of the total
population. Savings play a crucial role in such situations.
 Dealing with medical expenses becomes difficult as income
might dwindle during retirement. As your age advances,
susceptibility to various ailments increases, which in turn
increases the need for a steady flow of income to cover the
expenses for treatment as well as prevention. The government
of India has launched various schemes in favour of senior
citizens to protect their rights and maintain good health.

4. List of scheme
 Some of the top government schemes for senior
citizens in India are listed below –
1. Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Scheme. ...
2. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme
(IGNOAPS) ...
3. National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly
(NPHCE) ...
4. Varishta Mediclaim Policy. ...
5. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana. ...
6. Varishta Pension Bima Yojana.

5. Continued
 7. . Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund
 8. Vayoshreshtha Samman
 9. Reverse Mortgage Scheme
 10. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojan

6. 1. Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Scheme
this is one of the most popular senior citizen pension schemes in India.
Designed for senior citizens above 60 years of age, the policy term of this
Prime Minister Senior Citizen Scheme extends to ten years. The pensioner can
choose the frequency of the payment - monthly/quarterly/half-
yearly/annually. You can earn interest of 8% per annum over this scheme.
The minimum and maximum capping of pension are Rs. 3,000 per month
and 10,000 per month, respectively.

7. 2. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension
Scheme (IGNOAPS)
Specially intended for older adults above the age of 60 years, who fall
below the poverty line, according to the guidelines prescribed by the
Government of India. The IGNOAPS assists with money up to 200
p.m., and 500 p.m., for people between 60 and 79 years and above 80
years, respectively.

8. 3. National Programme for the Health Care of
Elderly (NPHCE)
Introduced in 2010, this scheme concentrates on preventive as well as
promotive care for the maintenance of overall health. This program was
launched to address the health issues faced by seniors. The district-level
objectives include providing dedicated health facilities in district hospitals,
community health centres (CHC), primary health centres (PHC), and sub-
centres (SC) levels through State Health Society. These facilities maybe free or
highly subsidized.

9. 4. Varishta Mediclaim Policy
This policy aids seniors by covering the cost of medicines, blood,
ambulance charges, and other diagnosis related charges. Designed for
senior citizens between the age of 60 and 80 years, this helps meet the
health-related expenses of senior citizens. Moreover, income tax
benefits are allowed for payment of premium under Section 80D.
Although the policy period is for one year, you can extend the renewal
up to the age of 90 years.

10. 5. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
This scheme provides physical aids and assisted-living devices for older
adults above 60 years of age that belong to the BPL (below the poverty line)
category. So, if senior citizens wish to avail this, then they must have a BPL
card. This is a Central Sector Scheme and is entirely funded by the Central
Government.

11. 6. Varishta Pension Bima Yojana
This pension scheme, launched by the Ministry of Finance, is for senior
citizens above 60 years. The LIC of India has the authority to operate this
scheme. You don’t need to get any medical check-ups done to avail this
policy. It offers assured pension with a guaranteed interest rate of 8% per
annum for up to 10 years – you can opt for monthly, quarterly, half-yearly,
and yearly pension – depends on how you’d like to receive it.

12. 7. Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund
Launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, this fund
includes unclaimed amounts from small savings and savings accounts in
the Central government schemes. It aims to make seniors financially stable
for their overall welfare and health care.

13. 8. Vayoshreshtha Samman
This scheme focuses on those seniors who have made significant
contributions in their disciplines and recognizes their efforts. It was
upgraded to the National Award in 2013, and since then, awards have been
granted under thirteen categories.

14. 9. Reverse Mortgage Scheme
This scheme was launched in 2007 by the Ministry of Finance to
benefit senior citizens. They can mortgage their residential
property against a loan of 60% of the value of the house, with a
minimum tenure of 10 years.

15. 10. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
This scheme was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare for covering up to 10 crore people belonging to poor and vulnerable
families. Under this scheme, coverage of up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family for
secondary and tertiary hospitalization is provided.
With a broad spectrum of schemes launched by the Government of India,
benefitting senior citizens belonging to various classes, planning for your
health, and other related expenses has become easier. Willing to shed some
light over other schemes that have benefitted you? Please let us know in the
comment section below!