21 May 2026·PIB

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will Host Virtual Program on “Creating a Well-Functioning Care Economy” on 22 May 2026.

In this note

1. At a Glance

Virtual programme by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE), Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, on 22 May 2026, 10:00 AM, themed "Creating a Well-Functioning Care Economy" [1].
Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar to launch JEEVAN App (for senior citizens) and SHATAYU dashboard (information on geriatric caregivers) [1].
Topic intersects demographic ageing, female labour-force participation (FLFP), unpaid care work, and gig/care economy formalisation — a high-yield UPSC theme across GS-I (society), GS-II (welfare) and GS-III (economy) [2][3].

MoSJE's virtual conclave on care economy + simultaneous launch of JEEVAN App and SHATAYU dashboard on 22 May 2026 [1].
Aligns with ILO–NITI Aayog ongoing collaboration on care-economy policy recommendations and the ILO project "Expanding decent employment opportunities in the care economy in India" [2][3].

Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 — statutory backbone of elder-care obligations [4].
2017–18: National Time Use Survey (MoSPI) — first official measurement of unpaid care work in India.
2021: Launch of SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine) portal under MoSJE to onboard start-ups serving the elderly [5].
Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) umbrella scheme, with components like IPSrC (Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens) and SACRED (Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity) [6].
2026: JEEVAN App + SHATAYU dashboard launched to digitise eldercare and map geriatric caregivers [1].

Nodal ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment; Department: Social Justice & Empowerment [1].
Secretary, DoSJE: Shri Sudhansh Pant; address by Joint Secretary (Senior Citizens) [1].
Definition of Care Economy (per PIB note): activities related to childcare, eldercare, disability support, health-related home care, and domestic services; includes unpaid care work predominantly performed by women [1].
JEEVAN App: digital platform for senior citizens [1].
SHATAYU: dashboard providing information on geriatric caregivers [1].
ILO data: Women in Asia–Pacific perform 4.1 times more unpaid care work than men; Indian men perform only 31 minutes/day of unpaid care work (~7.9% of working time) [3].
Statutory anchor for eldercare: Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 [4].

Economic: Care economy investments could create millions of decent jobs; ILO–NITI Aayog frame care infrastructure as a route to raise FLFP (currently among Asia's lowest) [2][3].
Social / Gender: Disproportionate unpaid care burden on women suppresses workforce entry; recognition–reduction–redistribution (3R) framework implicit in ILO advocacy [3][7].
Demographic: India's 60+ population projected to surge by 2050 — basis for geriatric caregiver infrastructure (SHATAYU) [1][5].
Legal / Constitutional: Backed by Article 41 (DPSP – right to public assistance in old age) and the 2007 Act [4].
Administrative: Convergence challenge — eldercare straddles MoSJE, MoH&FW, MoWCD, MoRD; care workers largely informal/unregulated [2].
Governance / Tech: Digital tools (JEEVAN, SHATAYU, SAGE) reflect shift to platform-based welfare delivery for elderly [1][5].

21 May 2026: PIB release announcing the virtual programme and app/dashboard launches [1].
2025: ILO note on Employment-Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) integration with care guidance [2].
ILO–NITI Aayog policy work on care infrastructure and care-worker training continuing through 2025–26 [2][3].

JEEVAN App — launched for senior citizens by MoSJE (not MoH&FW) [1].
SHATAYU — dashboard on geriatric caregivers, not a pension scheme [1].
Programme date: 22 May 2026, launched by Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar [1].
Care economy components per MoSJE: childcare, eldercare, disability support, home health care, domestic services [1].
SAGE = Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine; launched 2021 by MoSJE [5].
AVYAY = Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana — umbrella scheme for senior citizens [6].
SACRED portal — for re-employment of senior citizens [6].
Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act enacted in 2007 [4].
ILO: women in Asia–Pacific do 4.1× unpaid care work vs men [3].
ILO project: Expanding decent employment opportunities in the care economy in India [2].
Constitutional anchor for elderly welfare: Article 41 (DPSP).
Secretary, DoSJE: Sudhansh Pant [1].

GS-I: Society — Role of women; population/ageing.
GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections (elderly); government policies.
GS-III: Indian economy — employment, FLFP, informal labour.
Probable stems: 1. "A well-functioning care economy is central to raising India's female labour-force participation." Discuss. 2. Examine the adequacy of India's institutional framework for elderly care in light of accelerating demographic ageing. 3. Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care work are prerequisites to gender-just growth. Comment.

AVYAY / IPSrC / SACRED / SAGE / Vayoshreshtha Samman — sibling MoSJE schemes [5][6].
Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 — statutory regime [4].
National Policy for Senior Citizens, 2011 — policy doctrine.
Time Use Survey (MoSPI) — data backbone for unpaid work.
PLFS & FLFP trends — labour-market lens.
Article 41, 46 DPSP — constitutional underpinning.
ILO Decent Work Agenda — international benchmark [2].
Demographic Dividend / Window — links demography to care economy [2].

Care economy programme is under MoSJE, not MoWCD or MoH&FW.
JEEVAN App here is for senior citizens, not the unrelated rural housing/insurance schemes of similar name.
SHATAYU is a dashboard for caregivers, not a pension or insurance product.
SAGE (2021) and JEEVAN/SHATAYU (2026) are distinct — don't conflate years.
"Care economy" per MoSJE definition explicitly includes unpaid work — easy to miss in MCQs.