ABSTRACT
A country’s population size, structure, and composition have a precarious, while not deterministic—impact on development. India is undergoing rapid demographic change. India is in the process of demographic transition and has now moved into the phase of falling fertility thereby reducing natural growth and is predicted to reach low fertility mortality replacement level in the future (Agarwal, 2016). The changing nature of the composition of age is anticipated to create a paradigm of demographic dividend initially and will be converted to graying society in future. This paper contends the unique nature of demographic change of India along with the challenges faced by the elderly population. Without addressing these challenges seriously, demographic changes in the country may not return their foreseen benefits. In this context, the paper reviews trends in Indian population size and the drivers of population change. Furthermore, it endeavors the challenges for the elderly in India along with suggestive measure for coping with the situation.
