SAMAJIK ADHIKARITA SHIVIR

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Context - Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister inaugurated a distribution camp under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana.

Details

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister inaugurated ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ a distribution camp under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana for providing Daily Living Aids and Assistive Devices to Senior citizens in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
In the inauguration camp, Daily Living aids and assistive devices like Wheelchairs, Walking Sticks, Spectacles, Hearing Aids, Walking Stick, Wheel Chair with Commode, Spinal Support etc. Was distributed among senior citizen beneficiaries.

About Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana is the scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was launched in 2017.
It is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government.
The Scheme provides Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to the BPL category.
The Expenditure was made from the "Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund".
The Scheme is implemented through Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Under the scheme, physical aid will be provided only to senior citizens. Those who are aged above 60 years.
The Senior citizens must belong to the BPL family and should hold a valid BPL card issued by the concerned authority.
In case of multiple disabilities/infirmities manifested in the same person, the assistive devices will be given in respect of each disability/impairment.
Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO) will undertake one-year free maintenance of the aids and assisted living devices.
Beneficiaries in each district will be identified by the State Governments/UT Administrations through a Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector.
As far as possible, 30% of the beneficiaries in each district shall be women.

Significance of the scheme

As per the Census data of 2011, the population of senior citizens in India is 10.38 crore.
More than 70% of the population of senior citizens live in rural areas of the country.
2% of the senior citizens suffer from some sort of disabilities related to old age.
Projections indicate that the elderly population will increase to around 173 million by 2026.
Therefore, the Government has initiated the Scheme to provide Physical aids and Assisted Living Devices for senior citizens suffering from age-related disabilities/ infirmities, who belong to the BPL category.