Context: Union Budget 2026–27 announced training of 1.5 lakh caregivers aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) to strengthen India’s caregiving ecosystem.
- NITI Aayog report: The August 2026 report, Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047, emphasises treating caregiving as an economic activity, rather than merely welfare work.
Growing Need for Elderly Care
- Ageing population: India’s population aged 60 and above is projected to increase from approximately 149 million in 2022 to 347 million by 2050, accounting for around 20.8% of the population.
- Large informal workforce: Based on the article’s estimate that 10% of India’s population is engaged in unpaid, untrained caregiving, approximately 146 million people are involved in such work.
- Demand–supply gap: The proposed training of 1.5 lakh caregivers is small compared with the existing caregiving burden and anticipated growth in elderly care requirements.
- Changing family structures: The transition from joint families to smaller households has weakened traditional family-based support systems, increasing the need for trained caregivers and organised long-term care services.
Gender Inequality in Caregiving
- Disproportionate burden on women: Women often combine unpaid caregiving with household responsibilities, frequently without formal training, financial compensation or social recognition.
- Time-use disparity: According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) survey cited in the article, women spend an average of 299 minutes daily on unpaid domestic work and caregiving, compared with 97 minutes for men.
- Vulnerable dependants: Approximately 26.8 million persons with disabilities, along with elderly people requiring assistance, depend significantly on informal caregivers.
- Need for shared responsibility: Training at least two family members in caregiving can distribute responsibilities more equitably and reduce household stress.
Importance of Formal Caregiver Training
- Clinical observation and emergency response: Training should cover the identification of age-related health changes, assessment of care needs, medicine management, continuous monitoring and emergency response.
- Physical and functional support: Caregivers need skills in mobility assistance, personal hygiene, safe transfers, nutrition and monitoring of vital signs.
- Geriatric mental health: The curriculum must address cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and behavioural or emotional challenges associated with ageing.
- Professional recognition: Formal certification can convert self-taught caregiving experience into recognised skills, improving care quality, employability and dignity for caregivers.
Existing Caregiver Training Initiatives in India
- Kudumbashree’s K4 Care programme: Launched in Kerala in February 2024, it trains members of self-help groups (SHGs) as certified geriatric, patient and disability care executives; only 838 participants had completed the course according to the article, indicating scope for expansion.
- ASHA worker training: The National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) has prepared an Elderly Care Training Manual for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), with training delivered through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres; publicly available figures on completion remain unclear.
- Scaling existing models: Trained Kudumbashree members and ASHA workers can serve as trainers, expanding local caregiving capacity through a train-the-trainer approach.
Way Forward: Building a National Caregiving Ecosystem
- Recognise and upskill family caregivers: Introduce accessible certification and bridge courses that recognise prior informal caregiving experience while ensuring competency-based training.
- Establish a National Caregiver Council (NCC): As envisaged in the NITI Aayog report, the proposed apex body could establish skill benchmarks, standardise curricula, update training modules and supervise caregiver development.
- Create a national caregiver portal: Maintain a directory of certified caregivers, provide standardised information and FAQs, and facilitate access to trained personnel.
- Promote gender parity: Encourage shared family responsibility, increase men’s participation in caregiving and improve recognition of unpaid care work.
- Develop a formal care economy: Integrate caregiver training with employment pathways, community-based services and long-term care facilities to generate livelihoods while meeting rising demand.
- Ensure effective implementation: Translate the Budget announcement into funded training programmes, measurable certification targets, quality assurance and accessible services, particularly for rural and economically vulnerable households.
Additional Concepts
- National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF): A competency-based framework that organises qualifications according to levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude, supporting standardised training and recognition of competencies.
- Care economy: Encompasses paid and unpaid activities that sustain people’s physical, emotional and social well-being, including childcare, elderly care and support for persons with disabilities.
- Demographic transition: Increasing life expectancy and declining fertility gradually raise the proportion of older persons, creating greater demand for healthcare, pensions, social protection and long-term care.
- SDG linkage: Elderly care and caregiver support contribute to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
