What is the safety of Parents and Senior Citizens?

My topic is related to the safety of parents and senior citizens. Indian culture teaches respecting elders. Due to selfishness and money minded thoughts, the honour of the elders, most loved sacraments of Indian culture is being lost somewhere from some people.

It is very sad to see the atrocities towards the parents and senior citizens by their children and loved ones in newspapers and nearby areas. 


In our country, there is a law for the protection and rights of Parents and Senior citizens, which every parent and senior citizen need to know. “THE MAINTENANCE AND WELFARE OF PARENTS AND SENIOR CITIZENS ACT, 2007”.


THE MAINTENANCE AND WELFARE OF PARENTS AND SENIOR CITIZENS ACT, 2007.


Parents, grand-parents and senior citizens are entitled to Maintenance under this Act, who are unable to maintain themselves from their own income and property.


The “Maintenance” includes for food, residence, clothing and medical attendance and treatment.


Parent or grand-parent can file an application for maintenance against one or more of his/her children.


Children include son, daughter, grand-son and grand-daughter. Children does not include a minor.


If the aged person is childless, they can claim maintenance money from their relative, who has possession of their property or will be entitled to their property in future. 


The application for maintenance can be filed before the Tribunal which is headed by the Sub-Divisional officer.


As per this Act, maximum maintenance amount of Rs.10,000 monthly can be given to Parents and Senior citizens by their children and relative respectively.


As per this Act, every state government need to make old age home in every district.

New Amendment Bill, 2019 of The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens Act has approved and will be passed very soon.


New Amendment bill, 2019 will now add following updates:-

  • Parents- Grandparents and parents-in-law.
  • Children–Step children, adoptive children, children-in-law and legal guardian of minor children.
  • Relatives- Minor represented by their legal guardians. 
  • Maintenance- New Amendment bill, 2019 removes the upper limit of Rs.10,000 for maintenance. Now amount of maintenance will be based on standard of living of parents and earnings of children. 
  • Children and relatives will have 15 days to pay maintenance amount to parents and senior citizens. 
  • Failure to pay maintenance amount can lead to imprisonment for 1 month or until the payment is made. 
  • Abuse to Parents and Senior citizens are offences. 
  • Prison terms of 3 to 6 months for abuse to parents and senior citizens. 
  • Fine up to Rs.10,000 or both for abuse to parents and senior citizens. 
  • Private organisation can set up old age homes, must be registered with a registration authority set up by state government. 
  • State government to designate a regulatory authority to monitor functionality of old age home. 
  • Every Police station to have a dedicated officer to deal issue with senior citizens and parents. 
  • State government also required to constitute a special police unit in every district. 


Every aggrieved parent and aggrieved senior citizen should use this law. Many parents do not take help of law to protect the fake honour of their children, it is necessary to tell such children about this law if their parents take help of this law for the atrocities happening on them, maintenance money can be taken from children as decided by court every month for their parents and evicted from their properties to the children.