INDIA IS AGEING: ARE WE PREPARED?

ABSTRACT

India’s population is ageing sooner than expected, and by the middle of the next decade, the country’s demography will see a significant shift, according to a report by a United Nations (UN) body. The shift, when it happens, will have significant implications for policymakers as well as businesses in a country that touts its ability to reap a so-called demographic dividend of a young population as one of its competitive strengths. This shift necessitates special attention towards health care of the elderly population and also the provision of affordable and reliable medical insurance to them. Increasing health hazards, inflation and continued forceful employment of the elderly have created an urgent need to look into the possible solutions for the same.

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