Elderly Power in India&

Role of Pensioners/superannuated persons

ByS.C. Maheshwari

Secretary (Railway) Bharat Pensioners SamajGeneral secretary RREWA. GURGAON

E-mail:pensioner77@yahoo.comWeb Sites: www.rrewa.org www.bharatpensioner.org

THERE has been no parallel to Indian elderly power

They got you independenceThey have been running government

right from independenceThey have been managing major

political parties of this country

It is another thing that once in power they forget their own brothers and sisters and remember only the vote Bank

So consolidate your vote Bank

Statistical Data -1

Census Data 2001 >> India at a glance >> Broad Age Groups

Total Population = 1,02,87,37,436 persons Age Groups Persons 6 years and below = 163,819,614 Proportion to total population (%) 15.9 7 to 14 years =199,791,198 Proportion to total population (%) 19.4 15 to 59 years =585,638,723 Proportion to total population (%) 56.9 60 years and above= 76,622,321 Proportion to total population (%) 7.5 Age Not Stated =2,738,472 Proportion to total population (%) 0.3

Statistical Data-IIBased on census 2011

Total population =1,21,01,93,422 i.e.1210.2 m Growth rate gone down -3.09% compared to 2001 Population of 0-6 yrs age group =15,87,89,287 i.e

158.8 m (-5 million since 2001 i.e -3.08%) 0-6 years to total Population is 13.1 percent compared to

15.9% in 2001 i.e a decline of 2.8 % Average life expectancy increased to :66.8years Population of 65+ :5.3% up by 1.3%

compared to 2001 Population of 60-64 age group : up by 1.5% Total population of 60+ in 2011 : 10.3% of total

population ` = 124.65 m

Who are Sr. Citizen firstPensioners/Superannuated persons

who are Senior citizen First

Total population = 11000000Defence pensioners = 2250000Rly Pensioners = 1200000Central Govt. Civil Pensioners = 0825000State Pensioners = 4300000 (Approx.)PSU Pensioners = 2425000 (do )Including those under Labour & Employment Ministry GOIHowever , as all the retired persons are not pension recipients let us replace the term superannuated persons thus adding them together the figure goes beyond = 20000000 who are packed

with wisdom ,

knowledge & experience

Statistical Data-III(Based on 2009 General Elections & REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL GROUP ON POPULATION PROJECTIONS)

Total Population=1,21,000,000 (2011)

Total Electoral (2009)=713.77Million Elderly Electoral 9,50,00000 (2009)

Elderly Electoral Share13%

with the rise in population this share in electoral has

gone up to 16.73% in 2012

0200400600800

100012001400

TotalPopulation

ElectoralPopulation

Sr CitizenElectoral

Population

• National Voting average (2009) =55.4 %

• Elderly Voting average= 90%

Effective % of Elderly votes = 20%

Voting% in 2012 has gone up to 58.1% correspondingly electoral share of elderly too has gone up to 16.73 consequently elderly vote % is now over 25%

0

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20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Effective literacy among senior Citizen

33% =41.135m=4,11,35000 out of which over 20 m 0r 2,0000000 are superannuated persons

Financial position33% Below poverty line 33% Just above poverty line30% Middle class 4% Well to do

Statistic data V

Common objectivesSr citizen & superannuated persons

1. Financial Security 2. Health care3. Social security4. Physical security5. To develop systems which enable all of

us to act as one family with mutual confidence, support and growing interdependence.

6. To seek support from the Government in deficient areas.

Demographical aging has hit the Indian shores as well. People are living longer , life expectancy is steadily rising & fertility declining

With the declining population of 0-6 age group due to high infant mortality , high mortality rate of expectant young mothers during delivery, lower fertility rate but overall life expectancy going higher , India’s elderly population is on fast track & is already at 10%+ of total population. Electoral strength of elderly will also go on increasing in coming years.

Present Indian elderly population is 121+ Millions. 33% of elderly population

is below poverty line another 33% is just above poverty line, only 30% of

elderly population is literate. Almost 50% of

literate elderly are retirees

To be able to influence the Government decisions we have to keep two things in mind.

1.Our Political clan understands only the language of vote bank &

2. Our Bureaucrats care for nuisance value.

As matured & responsible

Sr citizens of the country can not

think of nuisance value

Elderly have 16.73% share in Indian Electoral.

Average voting percentage in Indian elections is aroud 58.1%

voting percentage of 60+persons in every election is staggering

90%.Thus actual vote share of Sr citizens will now be almost

25%.which is sufficient to make or mar Governments

why then Sr citizen should feel helpless!

They are still capable of turning the tides

over 20 million literate Sr citizen constitute intelligent section of voters who are packed with wisdom, knowledge & experience are capable to work as opinion formers. Following 0.5% principle, if we work for creating a work force of 2,00000 (2 lac ) spread over the country & adopt 3tier system of working with modern technology i.e. 1. Think tank 2.Processing unit 3.Field unit

streamline already available resources i.e. websites, Blogs, Social networking sites & monthly Journals which several of Sr. Citizen & Pensioners’ organizations have!

By going down to grass roots covering rural & urban India.

We can still do wonders

The need of the hour is consolidation?

Rising above the cast/creed, Sex, Provincial, linguistic & political divides. Work for the consolidation of Sr Citizen

Sr. Citizen & pensioners organizations Work in their own fields with a

common Road Map i.e. 1.Communicate 2.Consolidate 3.Co-

ordinate 4.Empowerment through awareness,

education & information. 5.Different organizations at different

levels should work as a team & not as competitors

Communicate

Amongst yourself, With sister organizations , local

leaders Local administration & Media

ConsolidateOrganizations

Bring different organizations together through MOU. Without disturbing identity & internal independence of participants and form Nation level apex body representing both Sr. Citizen organizations & Pensioners organizations

Co ordinate

National level Apex body to co ordinate between Sr citizen & pensioners

organizations at all levels

Empowerment

Sr. Citizen & pensioners organizations to empower their members through dissemination of information, spreading awareness & education through personal contacts , journals, groupsBlogs, Facebook & Web sites

Link & network organizations. Stream line existing resources like Journals, Web sites etc and create a network. Share thoughts, information & resource.

Remember!

Three Stages of every great work i.e. Insult

Opposition Success

Fools quit at first stage, intelligent reach stage three.

.

THANK YOU