Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (2021): India’s Integrated Policy For Elderly Care And Empowerment

Policy Update
Rashmi Kumari

Introduction

According to the Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections (2011–2036) by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India is undergoing a profound population transition as its senior (60+) population is expected to increase from 10.4 crores in 2011 to 23 crores by 2036. While people are living longer than ever before due to improvements in life expectancy and health care delivery, such trends in aging raise multifaceted issues, including financial insecurity, social isolation, and the loss of family support as the structure of the joint family breaks down.

In response, the Government of India launched the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) in April 2021, a revised National Action Plan for Senior Citizens. Implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, AVYAY is an umbrella program aimed at protecting the health, dignity, and empowerment of the elderly. It brings together many laws and welfare schemes to facilitate active aging, social inclusion, and intergenerational bonding while taking into account both the emotional, economic, and health care needs of senior citizens in a rapidly evolving socio–cultural setting.

Vision & Mission

Vision: To cultivate a society where senior citizens lead healthy, happy, empowered, dignified, and self-reliant lives, supported by strong inter-generational bonds.

Mission: To provide access to essential amenities—food, shelter, health care, financial security, recreation—while building both formal and informal social support systems and raising societal awareness of older adults’ rights

Objectives/Goals of the scheme

AVYAY, previously known as NAPSrC, is a dedicated initiative designed to address the multifaceted needs of the elderly. The programme takes a holistic approach, focusing on ten core thrust areas that reflect the complex realities faced by senior citizens in their daily lives.

1. Financial Security	2. Health Care & Nutrition
3. Shelter & Welfare	4. Safety & Protection
5. Active & Productive Ageing	6. Age-friendly Infrastructure
7. Awareness & Capacity Building	8. Promoting “Silver Economy”
9. Research & Studies	10. Project Management

Functioning and major components

The Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) consists of five key components, which work together to provide integrated support to senior citizens across the country.

A. Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC): This component helps establish and maintain Senior Citizen Homes (SrCH) to improve the quality of life for poor aged persons by providing shelter, food, medical facilities, and recreation, and facilitating their active and productive aging.

B. State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC): This component of AVYAY recognizes that States and Union Territories are essential. Under this component, financial support is provided for the States and Union Territories to formulate and implement State Action Plans. States should frame both long-term (five-year) and annual action plans based on their own needs, but in receipt of support from central government funding, to have decentralized and yet coordinated action for the welfare of senior citizens.

C. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY): The RVY is a Central Sector Scheme that provides the best quality assistive living devices, such as hearing aids, walking sticks, and wheelchairs, to senior citizens with age-related disabilities, to help restore their functional independence.

D. Senior Citizen Opportunities for Productive Engagement (SCOPE): This online program matches seasoned older adults with private companies in need of reliable, talented workers. It allows for virtual matching of the right jobs and preferred roles, “keeping seniors engaged in the workforce.”

E. Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE): SAGE provides access to senior-friendly products and services by validating and promoting forward-thinking solutions, creating a pathway to services intended for seniors through a dedicated source. The Ministry’s role is as the facilitator between the missing solution seekers and the possible quality solutions to better the day-to-day lives of elderly stakeholders, or to help connect them to others who can.

F. Geriatric Caregivers Training: The Geriatric Caregiver Training program builds a skilled workforce to meet elderly care demands, covering clinical and non-clinical needs. Over 3,180 caregivers trained via NISD to date.

Together, these elements operationalize the mission for AVYAY to empower India’s older persons.

Performance

Since its inception, the AVYAY programme has made significant strides in addressing the diverse needs of the elderly population through various sub-schemes and targeted initiatives. The following achievements highlight the scope and impact of the programme over the past three years:

Financial Assistance under IPSrC: The IPSrC has allocated around ₹288.08 crore, benefiting a total of 3,63,570 older adults. This financial support has provided access to much-needed services and care for older people across various domains.
Establishment of Elder Care Facilities: 552 Senior Citizen Homes, 14 Continuous Care Homes, 19 Mobile Medicare Units, and 5 specialized Physiotherapy Clinics have been established under the IPSrC program, focusing on ongoing support and mobility interventions..
Implementation of RVY: RVY went through the implementation of 269 national camps, by providing 848,841 assistive devices to 157,514 elderly beneficiaries at a cost of ₹140.34 crore
Expansion of Elderline Services(14567): Elderline (the helpline for senior citizens) has been operational in 31 States/UTs, from October 2021 till today. The Elderline program has been funded by ₹82.68 crore, providing trusted emotional support, information, and emergency support for senior citizens..
Promotion of Innovation through the SAGE Initiative: The SAGE Initiative has been launched to support and promote start-ups working in the older people care part of society with a vision of developing innovations, products and services, and new prototypes in the elderly care sector. The initiative aims to generate investment with the private sector and sustainability.
Comprehensive and Integrated Support: AVYAY has taken a stance of supporting senior citizens in the context of a range of housing, medical care, financial assistance, social inclusion, and community participation to retain dignity, safety, and continue participation.

Challenges

Despite these great advancements, there are some limits to AVYAY:

1. Awareness and Outreach
Many seniors, particularly in rural areas, are unaware of AVYAY and its benefits, resulting in a lack of uptake.

2. Implementation Barriers
Some investigators have identified slow bureaucracy, poor monitoring, and limited state-level coordination as implementation challenges.

3. Urban-Rural Divide
There is a pressure for more resources to be available and accessibility in urban areas, while rural seniors face fewer services.

4. Funding Limitations
With so much work to do, the amount of funding may not be enough for the fast-growing segments of seniors.

5. Lack of a Trained Workforce
There is a lack of trained geriatric professionals, social workers, and quality-trained operators of elderly services.

Way Forward

To broaden AVYAY’s reach and impact, the following are suggested:

1. Mass Awareness Campaigns
o To create awareness among seniors and families on rights and entitlements using local networks (ASHAs, panchayats, NGOs, and media)

2. Improved Monitoring and Coordination
o To use digital channels (e-ANUDAAN) for applications and monitoring of plans
o Regular audits, performance reviews, and independent evaluations

3. Infrastructure in Rural Areas
o Strengthening of mobile medical units and telemedicine use.
o Increase physiotherapy units and cataract camps, day care centres in villages.

4. Scale-up financing
o The SCWF and corporate social responsibility contributions should be scaled up. This can be incentivised by states contributing matching funding.

5. Skill and Workforce Development
o Expand the number of training programmes for caregivers and senior home staff
o Add a geriatric module in medical and nursing education.

6. Encouraging the Silver Economy
o To stimulate innovation in the private sector to develop elder-friendly products.
o To support research and pilot demonstrations through the NISD.

7. Promote Intergenerational Engagement
o Incorporate seniors in educational, cultural, and community development programs so they may learn from mutual engagement.

References

Justice, S. (n.d.). Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) | Department of Social Justice and Empowerment – Government of India. https://socialjustice.gov.in/schemes/43
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (n.d.). Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY). Grants Portal – Government of India. https://grants-msje.gov.in/display-napsrc-avyay
Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: Empowering the Elderly for a Dignified Life. (n.d.). https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1938996
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment provides grants to 639 projects under Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens scheme. (n.d.). https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2008128

About the contributor: Rashmi Kumari is a Research Intern at IMPRI and a Master’s student in Economics at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune.

Acknowledgement: The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team and Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for her invaluable guidance throughout the process.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.