Pariksha SaathiPIB backgrounder on Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY): Rs 77.98 crore released to 755 IPSrC projects for the quarter ending 30 September 2026
A PIB backgrounder of 27 October 2026 sets out the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), the umbrella scheme for the welfare of senior citizens. Launched in 2021, AVYAY subsumed and expanded the earlier National Action Plan for Senior Citizens (NAPSrC); the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is its nodal ministry and implements it through the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. According to the backgrounder, the Government released Rs 77.98 crore as grant-in-aid to 755 projects under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) component for the quarter ending 30 September 2026 of the financial year 2026-27. IPSrC, the primary implementation arm, gives grants-in-aid to NGOs, Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies, and at present supports 764 Senior Citizen Homes, 13 Continuous Care Homes, 17 Mobile Medicare Units and 3 Physiotherapy Clinics. Under the State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC), States may use up to 20% of their allocated funds for state-specific programmes. The Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, launched in 2017 as a standalone central sector scheme and since subsumed in AVYAY, has benefited over 10.45 lakh senior citizens with assistive living devices, and the national helpline for senior citizens, Elderline (14567), launched in October 2021, has received over 8.66 lakh actionable calls. The backgrounder notes that, as per Census 2011, India had 10.38 crore senior citizens (aged 60 and above), and that the elderly population is projected to reach 23 crore by 2036.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has notified the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (MWPSC Act) to ensure the well-being of the elderly. Section 7 of the Act provides for Tribunals presided over by an officer not below the rank of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, and under Section 9 these Tribunals can order the children or relatives responsible for a senior citizen to pay maintenance. In a Lok Sabha reply of 3 December 2024, the Ministry listed AVYAY's components, among them IPSrC, SAPSrC, the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (launched in April 2017 and implemented through the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation, ALIMCO, as the sole implementing agency), SAGE, the training of geriatric caregivers and the national helpline Elderline on toll-free number 14567, launched in October 2021.
Check yourself: under which Act can a Tribunal order children or relatives to pay maintenance to a senior citizen, and since when has Elderline (14567) been running?
The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (Tribunals under Section 7, maintenance orders under Section 9); since October 2021.
Revision task: from this release, note when AVYAY was launched, its nodal ministry, the grant released for the quarter ending 30 September 2026, what IPSrC and SAPSrC do, and the Elderline number; from the note, the MWPSC Act and its Sections 7 and 9, and when the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana and Elderline began.
Test yourself
According to PIB's backgrounder of 27 October 2026, which ministry is the nodal ministry for the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY)?
Show the answer
Answer: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal ministry responsible for policy formulation, funding, monitoring and overall implementation of AVYAY, through the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Launched in 2021, AVYAY brings together IPSrC, SAPSrC, the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana and the national helpline Elderline (14567), among other components.
Read the daily collection → · Editorial standards & corrections