Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana 2026: Rs 77.98 crore released, Elderline 14567, JEEVAN app and what seniors get

The Centre has released Rs 77.98 crore as grants-in-aid to 755 projects under the senior citizens’ integrated programme of the Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY) for the quarter ended 30 September 2026, says a PIB Backgrounder dated 27 October 2026. The same document lists what the scheme offers older people: old-age homes, the Elderline helpline 14567, free assistive devices under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, the JEEVAN app and a SHATAYU dashboard of 30,151 trained caregivers. It does not announce any new cash pension or application window.

What has PIB published about the Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana?

On 27 October 2026 the Press Information Bureau published a PIB Backgrounder titled “Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana: Empowering India’s Silver Economy”. It explains the scheme, its parts, its numbers and its monitoring system. It is an explainer, not a new order, so it does not change any rule or amount.

The document calls a healthy, safe and dignified life for the growing older population of India a key policy priority, and describes AVYAY as the integrated framework for it. It joins institutional care, health care, assistive devices, skill development, active ageing and technology in one scheme.

According to the 2011 Census, quoted in the document, India has 10.38 crore people aged 60 and above (5.11 crore men and 5.27 crore women). The backgrounder says the number is expected to reach 23 crore by 2036.

How much money did the Centre release, and for what?

The one fresh funding figure in the document is this: for the quarter ended 30 September 2026, in financial year 2026-27, the Government released Rs 77.98 crore as grants-in-aid to 755 projects. The money went under one component of AVYAY, the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC).

This money does not go to individual seniors. IPSrC gives grants directly to NGOs, Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies that run old-age homes, continuing care centres, mobile medical units, physiotherapy clinics and Regional Resource and Training Centres.

Facility supported under IPSrC	Number named in the document
Senior citizen homes	764
Continuing care homes	13
Mobile medical units	17
Physiotherapy clinics	3

The present focus of IPSrC, says the document, is mainly to set up and maintain senior citizen homes for needy older people.

What are the main parts of AVYAY?

AVYAY works through a group of connected components:

• Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC): the main implementing arm, giving grants for homes, care centres, mobile medical units and clinics.
• State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC): grants to States and Union Territories to build a pool of trained caregivers, run special cataract surgery campaigns and take up State-specific welfare work. States can spend up to 20% of their allotted funds on such State-specific programmes, and are expected to add their own money.
• Regional Resource and Training Centres (RRTC): nodal agencies for training, research, documentation and awareness. Each RRTC gets Rs 19.58 lakh a year as per the guidelines.
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY): assistive devices for eligible seniors, started in 2017 and now part of AVYAY.

SAGE, SCOPE and PM-SPECIAL are covered below.

What help reaches seniors directly: Vayoshri devices and Elderline 14567?

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana provides assistive devices to eligible senior citizens who have age-related physical disability or frailty, so that they can carry on daily tasks more easily. The backgrounder says it has benefited more than 10.45 lakh seniors, who received 55,87,653 assistive devices through camps and walk-in centres called PM Divyasha Vayoshri Kendras, run by the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO).

Elderline is the national helpline for senior citizens, started in October 2021, with helpline number 14567. The document says it offers free information, guidance and emotional support, takes up complaints, and works with district administrations and NGOs, including field visits where needed. It has received more than 8.66 lakh calls on which action was taken, across information, guidance, emotional support and field intervention.

What are the JEEVAN app and the SHATAYU dashboard?

In May 2026 the Government launched the JEEVAN mobile application (Joint Elderly Empowerment and Virtual Assistance Network) and the SHATAYU care-training dashboard (Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility).

According to the backgrounder, the JEEVAN app gives information on government schemes and welfare programmes, access to emergency help and support services, and details of senior citizen residences. It has a simple interface and a one-tap call feature, so a user can call important numbers in one tap during a medical need or emergency.

The SHATAYU dashboard helps seniors and families find trained caregivers. It shows caregiver availability at district and State level. The document says the dashboard lists 30,151 caregivers, of whom 6,817 are men and 23,334 are women. Caregivers trained in 2023-24 or earlier were invited to register themselves to make the database stronger.

What is there for caregivers, startups and working seniors?

• PM-SPECIAL: free skill-based training for people who work in elder care, through listed institutions and as per Government standards. It aims to close the gap between demand for caregivers and their availability.
• SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine): supports young entrepreneurs and startups building products and services for older people. Selected startups can get financial support up to Rs 1 crore through equity participation, plus mentoring and market links. Applications are first screened and examined in detail by IFCI Venture before final approval.
• SCOPE (Senior Citizen Opportunities for Productive Engagement): links experienced seniors with employers who look for steady, experienced staff, to promote productive ageing.

On 1 September 2026 the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment signed an MoU with the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission to strengthen bonds between children, parents and grandparents, starting in 200 pilot schools.

Who runs and monitors the scheme?

Level	Role according to the document
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Department of Social Justice and Empowerment)	Nodal ministry for policy, funding, monitoring and overall implementation
State and UT governments	Prepare and run State Action Plans for senior citizens, with Central financial help
District committees	Chaired by the District Collector or Magistrate; select actual beneficiaries and monitor old-age homes on the ground

For monitoring, a Project Monitoring Unit makes periodic field inspections of IPSrC projects. NGOs must submit periodic progress reports, utilisation certificates and audited financial statements. Projects are tracked on the e-Anudan portal. Implementing agencies must use a cloud-based contactless biometric attendance system linked to residents, and institutions must provide a live CCTV feed on their websites or portals for transparency.

What should a senior citizen or family do with this information?

1. For help or a complaint: call Elderline 14567, which the backgrounder describes as a free service.
2. For schemes and emergency numbers: look at the JEEVAN app, which lists government schemes and has one-tap calling.
3. To find a trained caregiver: use the SHATAYU dashboard, which shows caregivers by district and State.
4. For assistive devices: ask about Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana camps and PM Divyasha Vayoshri Kendras run by ALIMCO.
5. For a place in a senior citizen home: the document says actual selection of beneficiaries is done by district committees headed by the District Collector or Magistrate, so contact the district administration.

For current application steps use only the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and official government websites; this backgrounder is an overview.

What does the backgrounder not say?

• It does not announce a new cash pension, monthly allowance or direct benefit transfer for senior citizens. The Rs 77.98 crore goes to project-implementing organisations.
• It does not give an age, income or other eligibility condition for each component, such as Vayoshri devices or senior citizen homes.
• It does not give an application window, form or last date for individual seniors.
• It does not say how many seniors live in the 764 homes, or how the Rs 77.98 crore was divided State-wise.
• It does not state the date of the next quarterly release or the total sanctioned for 2026-27.
• Population numbers come from the 2011 Census and a projection for 2036; the document gives no newer count.