"Forced by circumstances and in search of success and status, educated young…

"Forced by circumstances and in search of success and status, educated young men and women settle far away from their parents. Some go abroad. The very education that the parents manage to give to their children turns against them in the end. Their children go away in search of green pastures leaving them alone. International community as well as our government is aware of their problems. The UNO proclaimed the year 1999 as ‘International Year for the Aged’. In our own country too the year 2000 was proclaimed ‘The Year for the Aged’.

Article 41 of our constitution clearly makes it incumbent on the state to look after the aged. There is a social welfare ministry responsible for the welfare of the aged. Laws are made from time-to-time to protect the rights of senior citizens. For example under law parents cannot be evicted from a house without due process of law under section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code. A magistrate can order a person to maintain his/her old parents under the Maintenance of Parents Act. The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance act says that the aged parents can demand for maintenance from their children. The Domestic Violence Act also provides parents with the rights to seek relief from any kind of abuse."

Who is empowered to give order to the concerned for the maintenance of their parents?