Ageing in India

The Indian subcontinent is physically and culturally diverse. Though Hindus are the majority, secular India is home to different religions. Sixteen per cent of the world’s population lives in the country. Some 826 languages and thousands of dialects are spoken. Different regions of the country – river valleys, plains, deserts, vast stretches of coast, snow covered mountains, present different types of life style and culture. While 72 per cent of the population live in rural areas, there are more than 225 cities with over 100,000 population, and ten cities with over a million people. Different parts of the country are experiencing varying degrees of socio-economic change. Literacy, employment, health and morbidity rates vary from region to region. Urban and rural environments present contrasting pictures with respect to quality of life at any age. Heterogeneity among its populace demands that generalisations about India be made with extreme caution.