Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: Rs 77.98 Crore to 755 Projects

The Central Government has sent Rs 77.98 crore in grant-in-aid to 755 projects that run under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC). The programme is one component of the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY). The payment covers the quarter that closed on 30 September 2026, in the financial year 2026-27, and it keeps assisted institutional care and allied facilities for older persons going.

About the scheme

AVYAY is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was started in 2021 and it absorbed the earlier National Action Plan for Senior Citizens, widening it and bringing several separate measures for older persons under one umbrella. Two ideas run through it. Ageing with Dignity stands for care that respects what older people have given their families and the country over a lifetime. Ageing in Place stands for letting them stay on in their own homes and neighbourhoods, helped by changes to the house and by services based in the community.

Why the push

India is going through a sharp demographic shift. The share of older people is rising, and the senior citizen population is expected to touch 23 crore by 2036. Census 2011 had counted 10.38 crore people aged 60 and above, made up of 5.11 crore men and 5.27 crore women. The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India points to functional limitations in a large share of older persons, which is why dependable care, health services and community support are needed. City living, migration for work and the spread of nuclear households have also thinned the old family support system, pushing the need for institutional and community-based care.

Who does what

Under the scheme, shelter, food, health care and recreation are arranged for older persons, and the capacity of governments, voluntary organisations, local bodies and communities to look after them is strengthened.