New Delhi, May 13 -- Even as India claims the spot of the fourth largest economy in the world, the amount of pensions given to senior citizens has remained unchanged at Rs.200-500 since 2012, The Indian Express reported.

The newspaper cited an evaluation commissioned by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, which stated that the real value of fixed cash transfers under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) has "significantly eroded" - by around 45% - due to inflation.

When adjusted to the current Consumer Price Index (CPI), a pension of Rs.200 should cost Rs.353 to retain its original purchasing power.

The evaluation was conducted across ten states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir. T...