THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has, once again, blazed a new trail by deciding to constitute a commission for the elderly, the first of its kind in the country.
In a path-breaking initiative, the State Assembly unanimously passed the Kerala State Elderly Commission Bill, 2025 aimed at protecting the rights of the elderly.
The Bill will replace the Kerala State Elderly Commission Ordinance, 2024, promulgated by the Governor in December 2024. The Bill, which was placed in the Assembly in January 2025, was later referred to a Subject Committee.
This is a laudable initiative which other States would do well to emulate. And it has come against the backdrop of the rising population of the elderly in Kerala. According to the 2011 census, the elderly accounts for 12.5 per cent of the population. Subsequent figures show that by 2018, it had gone up to 23 per cent. It is expected to further increase to 25 per cent by 2030.
It is a known fact that the elderly face a host of problems. Family and society are supposed to protect them. But the sad and grim reality is that they are robbed of peace of mind and denied safety in the evening of their lives.
It is against this murky backdrop that the State Government found it necessary to ensure that the provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 are properly implemented. The Commission for the Elderly will draw the Government’s attention to this aspect, and initiate legal action if necessary.
Apart from ensuring the protection and welfare of the elderly, the Commission will also help the Government formulate guidelines in matters pertaining to their rehabilitation and use of their skills for public benefit.
The Commission will have a chairperson and up to three elderly members. They will be appoint ted by the Government through a notification. A welcome suggestion is that one of the members be from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled tribes and another, a woman.
The chairperson and the members will hold office for three years. The chairperson will have the rank of a Secretary in the Government.
The Commission Kerala is setting up can draw comparison to the “Super Aged Society”, which the Japanese Government has formed. And a few countries of the European Union have also put in place mechanisms to ensure the social and financial participation of the elderly in nation-building activities.
In another novel initiative the Kerala Government has announced an action plan to ensure the physical and mental well-being of children and youth in the State.
This has become essential in view of the rising trends in substance abuse and aggression among children and youth. A think tank comprising experts has been constituted to formulate appropriate strategies to counter the growing menace.
The draft action plan readied by Chief Secretary Sharada Muraleedharan involves short, medium and long-term goals to ensure systematic implementation.
The short-term goals will concentrate on emergency interventions to address mental health issues, strengthening legal frameworks and law enforcement, besides increasing coordination of existing government schemes.
The medium-term goals will aim at reducing all forms of violence against children, in particular sexual abuse; ensuring safety in schools and promoting accountability among caregivers and institutions; extending support systems to grassroot levels, providing immediate care to children subjected to violence and mitigating risk factors to enhance child safety.
The long-term goals will focus on bringing about a cultural shift to end discriminatory practices and violence in society, formulating and implementing robust child protection policies and guidelines and establishing sustainable frameworks to safeguard the rights and well-being of children. (IPA Service)
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