Kerala Cabinet Approves Comprehensive Revamp of Senior Citizen Policy
The Kerala state cabinet, in a significant move on Wednesday, gave its formal clearance to a thoroughly revamped and updated policy framework specifically designed for senior citizens. Social Welfare Minister R Bindu addressed the media, outlining the policy's core objective: to guarantee the dignity, wellbeing, and active societal participation of Kerala's elderly population.
Foundational Vision and Key Missions
Minister Bindu stated that the revised policy seeks to cultivate an inclusive, equitable, and genuinely age-friendly community across Kerala, where no elderly individual is left neglected or marginalized. The policy is built upon several key missions that will guide its implementation.
The primary missions include:
- Promoting active and healthy ageing to ensure comprehensive physical, mental, and social wellbeing for all senior citizens.
- Improving integrated care delivery systems through strategic collaboration with local self-government institutions, frontline healthcare workers, and voluntary organizations.
- Implementing concrete steps to foster strong social and intergenerational solidarity.
- Systematically infusing ageing-related considerations into the broader governance and policy framework of the state.
Guiding Principles for a Productive Later Life
The minister elaborated on the guiding principles underpinning the new policy. A central tenet is the adoption of a life-course approach, which focuses on lifelong healthcare and continuous skill development to promote an active, engaged, and productive later life.
"The policy encourages lifelong learning, fundamentally viewing ageing not as a period of decline, but as a distinct phase of ongoing growth, contribution, and potential," Bindu explained.
Further principles aim to strengthen health, wellbeing, and social security by ensuring universal access to social welfare pensions and affordable, comprehensive insurance schemes tailored for the elderly.
Emphasis on Protection, Inclusion, and Specific Needs
A major highlight of the policy is its strong emphasis on creating disability-friendly frameworks. This includes a focus on age-appropriate infrastructure, the adoption of assistive technologies, and the development of suitable care systems.
The policy adopts a zero-tolerance stance towards any form of neglect or abuse of senior citizens. It proactively works to promote social inclusion and reduce isolation by guaranteeing equal access to all essential services.
Recognizing diverse needs, the policy specifically addresses the unique challenges faced by elderly women. It also ambitiously includes expatriates, parents of non-resident Keralites, and elderly immigrants within its social inclusion efforts.
Additional Programs and Institutional Support
The revised policy incorporates a suite of additional plans and programs designed to enrich the lives of senior citizens and leverage their wisdom.
- Initiatives to preserve valuable traditional skills and ensure their transmission to younger generations.
- Creating internship opportunities for skilled elderly individuals to contribute their expertise.
- Projects dedicated to preserving oral histories and traditional knowledge systems.
- Designing public recreational spaces that are inclusive and accessible to the elderly.
- Establishing single-window systems for protection services and efficient grievance redressal.
- Setting up fast-track justice systems to address legal concerns of the elderly promptly.
- Establishing a dedicated centre of excellence in gerontology to advance research and best practices in elderly care.
This comprehensive policy revision represents a holistic commitment by the Kerala government to building a supportive and respectful ecosystem for its ageing population, ensuring their golden years are lived with dignity, security, and purpose.
