As the Union Budget 2025-2026 approaches, the Pension Parishad has issued a strong appeal to address the glaring inadequacies in social security pensions allocated for the elderly, single women, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. Despite over 10.4 crore senior citizens in India, the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) continues to be grossly underfunded, with a stagnant allocation of ₹9,500 crores—a figure unchanged for over a decade.
Currently, pension amounts remain shockingly low: ₹200 per month for individuals aged 60–79, and ₹500 for those above 79 years, unchanged since 2007. Accounting for inflation, the real value of ₹200 in 2007 has plummeted to ₹7 per day in 2023, leaving pensioners unable to meet even basic needs. The Pension Parishad highlighted that while the country’s total budget grew nearly 30 times from 2007–08 to 2023–24, allocations for pensions have remained static, reflecting a deep disregard for economic vulnerabilities.
The administrative hurdles faced by beneficiaries exacerbate the situation. Pensioners frequently encounter months-long delays in payments, Aadhaar-linked exclusions, and challenges related to uploading disability certificates on the UDID Portal. For instance, Rajasthan has faced a complete halt in new disability pension applications since March 2024, leaving thousands stranded without their rightful benefits.
The Pension Parishad emphasized India’s poor standing in global comparisons. Neighboring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka provide significantly higher social security pensions despite having smaller GDPs. Meanwhile, Indian pensioners struggle with amounts that fail to secure dignity or survival.
Key Demands
The press release outlined specific demands ahead of the Budget 2025-2026:
1. Universal and Non-Contributory Pensions: A minimum pension of ₹4,000 per month, indexed to inflation, split equally between the Centre and state governments.
2. Inflation-Indexed Pensions: Regular revisions of pension amounts to maintain purchasing power.
3. Universal Coverage: Expansion of pension benefits to all households under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), removing the restrictive BPL criteria.
4. Abolition of Aadhaar Mandate: Ensuring Aadhaar is not a barrier to accessing entitlements under the NSAP.
Call for Urgent Action
The Pension Parishad warned that continued neglect of social security pensions would deepen inequality and violate the basic rights of vulnerable groups. As the nation strives for a "Viksit Bharat" (developed India), the government must reflect its commitment to justice and equity in this year’s budget. Anything less, the Parishad stated, would not only be inadequate but inhumane.
The ball is now in the government’s court to prove whether it values the dignity and survival of its elderly and vulnerable citizens or chooses to turn a blind eye to their plight.
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