The Elderly in India - a Challenge Dr. Arvind Kasthuri Professor of Community Medicine Department of Community Health St John’s Medical College Bangalore, India The Indian population is the second largest in the world after China. The number of elderly persons in India is more than the entire populations of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom put together. The proportion of the elderly in the population is also rising, as people have fewer children, and as life expectancy rises. But is this population healthy, going by the WHO definition of health, which is multidimensional? Are there impediments to the physical, mental, social and economic wellbeing of the Indian elderly? While the state has designed some measures to protect the health and welfare of its elderly population, there is a long and difficult way ahead. The rays of hope provided by small and committed efforts of a few must scale up to provide meaningful direction as India gears up for this important challenge – taking care of her elderly. June 8, 2015 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Mayo 3-125