Kerala's ageing population and the central law that gives parents a right to maintenance

Background

A senior citizens care Bill has just gone before the Kerala Assembly and been sent to a subject committee, and these are the numbers and the existing law behind it.
Kerala's population aged 60 and above is projected at 18.7 per cent, against 11.4 per cent nationally.
Population projections cited in the State's Elderly Budget expect that group to double, from 4.2 million in 2011 to 8.4 million by 2036.
Over the same period the working-age share is projected to fall from 62 per cent to 59.5 per cent, so a smaller working-age base will support a larger dependent one.
The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, which covered over 31,000 people aged 60 and above, found 52 per cent of Kerala's elderly living with two or more chronic conditions, against 23 per cent nationally.
It also found 91 per cent of those diagnosed with hypertension in the State were receiving treatment.
The central Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act already lets parents who cannot support themselves claim maintenance from their children, and lets States set up old age homes.
Himachal Pradesh enacted its own law on the maintenance of parents and dependants, and Tamil Nadu has prescribed minimum standards for old age homes run by voluntary organisations.