8. Reading Skills Comprehension: The Process Of Ageing

THE PROCESS OF AGEING

1. The process of ageing starts with conception in the mother’s womb. When we are young, we don’t recognise that there will come a time when our limbs will grow weak, our eyesight less keen and our body unable to function as smoothly as before. The state, the society and the family owe a responsibility towards senior citizens.

2. Unfortunately, of late, we have not been able to recognise the concept of respecting, caring and helping older generations in a systematic way as some of the countries have done. This is not to suggest that our culture and history does not recognise this phase of life. There have been many practices of caring and helping the elderly in our system. But, with the dismantling of the joint family system, the problem has assumed a newer and more complicated shape. Although we have started recognising the needs of the young, when it comes to the old, we have blissfully chosen to ignore them and have left them to fend for themselves.

3. Of all the senior citizens of the world, one out of ten is an Indian. The population of old people in India is the 4th highest in the world. By official estimates, there are over 77 million old people in the country now. There are some schemes by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. There are also provisions of financial assistance for different welfare schemes.

4. There are old-age homes and residential units for lower income groups in some districts where there is a part-time medical officer to attend to the inmates. Then there are day-care centres and mobile medicare services besides other NGOs (Non-Government Organisations).

5. Not only are there insufficient old-age homes in the country, but they are also ill-equipped to cater to the elderly. This should be the responsibility of the state since they need close and regular monitoring. The social welfare departments in the government have very little to boast about when it comes to caring for the older generations.

6. Government officials are apathetic to the welfare of the old people and are unimaginative. However, once the need for helping senior citizens is recognised not only by the society at large but also by the government and certain concessions are sanctioned for them, there may be some headway in this direction.

7. Society, too, has an important role to play. It must do so by respecting the aged and placing their interests before anyone else’s. In the West, if an old person is climbing down the stairs, he or she is helped. It is this kind of mindset that is the need of the hour. Offering seats to the old, helping them cross the roads, assisting them to carry their bags, fetching them water, etc., are some features which increase the acceptability of the older people.

Word-Meanings

Para 1. 1. Conception (noun): coming into existence 2. Limbs (noun): parts of a body 3.function (verb): work 4. Smoothly (adverb): properly 5. Keen (adjective): extremely sensitive or responsive

Para 2. 1. Concept (noun): idea 2. Dismantling (verb): extremely sensitive or responsive 3. Assumed (verb): taken shape 4. Complicated (adjective): complex 5. Blissfully (adjective): obliviously 6. Ignore (verb): neglect 7. Fend (verb): to look after yourself without help from anyone else

Para 3. 1. provisions (noun): arrangements 2. assistance (noun): help 3. schemes (noun): a plan of action to be followed

Para 4. 1. inmates (noun): dwellers 2. mobile (adjective): easy to move

Para 5. 1. ill-equipped (adjective): ill-prepared 2. cater to (verb): provide 3. insufficient (adjective): not enough 4. monitoring (noun): check-up

Para 6. 1. apathetic (adjective): indifferent 2. concessions (noun): grants 3. headway (noun): progress 4. sanctioned (verb): authoritative permission

Para 7. 1. mindset (noun): idea, thinking 2. assisting (verb): helping 3. fetching (verb): bringing

Questions:

1. Choose the correct option.

(a) Presence of an old-age home signifies our……………… towards the old people.

(i) apathy (ii) concern (iii) love (iv) fickle-mindedness

(b) Bureaucrats are ………………… to the welfare of the old people.

(i) different (ii) indifferent (iii) responsible (iv) humanitarian

(c) We must change our…………… towards old people.

(i) mind (ii) mindset (iii) thoughts (iv) behaviour

(d) The population of old people in India is the ……………… highest in the world.

(i) 2nd (ii) 5^th (iii) 4^th (iv) 3^rd

(e) Society must respect the elderly by ……………..