The belief that children will take care of the parents in the old age is eroding in India where the family size has been cut down as a result of the demographic process (Dandelkar, 1996). The situation in the urban areas shows a rejection of older people by the next generation and this is spreading to rural areas (Desai, 1985). In the nuclear family regime, the position of the aged becomes more vulnerable and is treated as a burden to the family (Nayar, 1992). The social negligence of the aged occurs due to cultural, social and economic relations within the.
