NEW DELHI: Good news for all senior citizens, as from October 1 people who are aged over 60 years and are seeking work opportunities will be now able to register themselves on a first-of-its-kind dedicated employment exchange portal for the elderly.
Those above 60 years will be able to register with their credentials such as education, experience, skills, and areas of interest.
The 'Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (Sacred)' portal, being steered by the ministry of social justice and empowerment (MoSJ&E), will enable "virtual matching" of employable elderly of 60 years and above with employers who come forward and register on the platform.
Social Justice and Empowerment Secretary R Subrahmanyam in a statement said, "The platform will bring together various stakeholders for giving work opportunities to the elderly."
Meanwhile, to bring in employers, the ministry has also written to the CII, Ficci and Assocham and others to help bolster employment opportunities for the elderly.
Once the portal goes live, a senior citizen can register with inputs on education, experience, skills and areas of interest. The job providers will specify the task involved and the number of senior citizens required to complete it. It has been proposed that voluntary organisations be drawn in to help senior citizens in applying for these jobs. The ministry has made it clear that the exchange does not guarantee any job.
The portal will allow for different full-time, part-time, freelance, and pro bono work models. The portal might include retaining and re-skilling options for senior citizens to bring them up to speed if required.
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The number of senior citizens has gone up from nearly 2 crore in 1951 to 7.6 crore in 2001 and about 10.4 crore in 2011.