Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar today chaired the 5th meeting of the National Council for Senior Citizens in New Delhi. Addressing the meeting, the Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that every senior citizen leads a life of dignity, security, good health and active participation in society.

He emphasized that the welfare and empowerment of senior citizens constitute an integral component of the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and called upon all stakeholders to work in close coordination towards building an inclusive, age-friendly and caring society. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that the council carried out a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana, assessing the outreach, effectiveness and impact. The Council also deliberated on the implementation of the Government’s landmark initiative extending health insurance coverage under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to all senior citizens aged 60 years and above providing health insurance coverage, irrespective of their financial background.

On the occasion, Dr Kumar also launched an e-book SNEHA – Stories of Nurturing, Engagement, Happiness and Active Ageing. The e-book showcased the major programmes, initiatives and achievements of the Department for the welfare and empowerment of senior citizens from October 2024 to June 2026.