The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister has recommended increasing the retirement age saying life expectancy is expected to continue to increase due to better health infrastructure.

In a report released last week, the Council said the retirement age needs to be raised in a phased manner as India is a young nation with a high working population, reported Hindustan Times citing the report.

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The Council also warned, “A rise in the retirement age, unless backed by social action and a series of other measures, won’t be enough to bridge the pensions gap and ensure the active ageing of an older person.”

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The report has recommended upskilling and reskilling opportunities for people in their 50s and the 60s. “Both central and state governments should formulate policies that support the reskilling efforts. These efforts should not exclude older workers in the informal economy, those living in remote rural areas, members of ethnic minorities, refugees and migrants who often have poor access to training.”

According to data released by Help Age International, a global network of organisations working with and for older people, over 10% of India’s total population (about 139m people) were aged over 60 in 2019. The proportion of elderly is expected to double to 19.5% by 2050 when one in 5 people is likely to be a senior citizen.

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