The Government of India vide Gazette Notification dated 29.12.2007 has enacted a law  entitled “ Maintenance and welfare of parents and Senior Citizens Act,2007.”

Primarily, the objective of the Act is to ensure that the parents/senior citizens are not neglected financially or otherwise by their children who may be residing in India or abroad. Any complaint of such a neglect of parents/senior citizens residing in India can be taken up by Tribunals which have been set up in various States for this purpose. The Tribunals will decide on merits the amount of monthly maintenance allowance which needs to be given to parents/senior citizens by the children in India. At present, the upper limit of such monthly maintenance allowance is Rs.10,000/-( Rupees ten thousand only) per month which can be revised from time to time.

Any violation of the provisions of the Act can lead to initiation of criminal proceedings under the Criminal Procedure Act of India which can lead to imprisonment or fine or both.

All NRIs residing abroad may carefully note the provisions of the act briefly summarized above for information.