President presents 'Vayoshreshtha Samman' to senior citizens

President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday presented the "Vayoshreshtha Samman" -- National Awards for Senior Citizens -- to eminent senior citizens and institutions in recognition of their service towards elderly persons on the occasion of International Day for Older Persons.

Speaking on the occasion, the President extended warm greetings to all senior citizens. He also congratulated the recipients of the National Awards in various categories and thanked them for their service to the elderly.

The President said that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was doing a good job by providing relief to the elderly in society.

Senior citizens in India, a segment of population over 60 years of age, numbers about ten and a half crore. Of these, 5.1 crore were male and 5.3 crore were female.

Current projections indicate that by 2026, the number of senior citizens, male and female, would be 8.4 and 8.8 crore respectively, official sources said.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot and Ministers of State Krishan Pal and Vijay Sampla.

--IANS

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