Srinagar, July 16 -- Kashmir is growing older faster than its public policies acknowledge.

Population ageing is no longer a distant demographic shift but a reality unfolding in homes, villages and cities across the valley, even as decision-makers continue to treat it as tomorrow's challenge.

Recent research leaves little room for complacency.

The United Nations Population Fund's India Ageing Report 2023 estimates that Indians aged 60 and above now account for more than 10 percent of the country's population, with that share projected to approach one-fifth by 2050.

Findings from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) point to another challenge.

Older Indians live longer while managing hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, arth...