Elder Line

Subject – Governance

Context – ‘Elder Line’ rings in hope for senior citizens

Concept –

India’s first pan-India toll free helpline – 14567 – called ‘Elder Line’ was officially launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
It aims to provide information, guidance, emotional support, and in cases of abuse, immediate assistance too.
Senior citizens can call in to seek clarity on pension issues, legal issues and even facilitate rescue of homeless elderly.
The intent of ‘Elder Line’, according to the Ministry, is to provide all senior citizens, or their well-wishers, with one platform across the country to get information and guidance on problems that they face on a day-to-day basis.
According to the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India, India will have over 319 million elderly by 2050 compared to the 120 million now.