Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the assembly on Tuesday.Presenting the bill, chief minister V D Satheesan said the proposed legislation sought to ensure care and protection to senior citizens while also enabling the state to make use of their knowledge and experience through a silver economy.The bill was subsequently referred to the subject committee for scrutiny.Satheesan said Keralam was undergoing significant demographic changes, with the number of young people declining due to factors such as falling birth rates, delayed marriages and migration of students and young professionals to other places. Also, rising life expectancy was increasing the proportion of senior citizens.By 2036, the proportion of senior citizens in Keralam is expected to be twice the national average, he said, stressing that demographic changes should be a key consideration in the state’s planning.Satheesan said the proposed department for senior citizens shouldn’t be viewed merely as a welfare initiative. While care and protection formed an important component, govt also wanted to develop a silver economy, using the experience, expertise and knowledge of people aged above 60.He said experienced professionals could help young entrepreneurs who lacked technical, marketing or management expertise. Retired professionals could be engaged as mentors and provided an honorarium for their services. Their expertise could also be used to advise Kudumbashree units, help prepare projects and support women in becoming financially self-reliant.Satheesan said govt had examined models adopted in countries such as Japan, US and UK, and was working on adapting suitable approaches to Keralam’s needs.On the care component, he said many senior citizens were living alone because their children had moved elsewhere or because they had no children. Even when family members sent money, elderly people could be left without anyone to check whether they had eaten, taken their medicines or received the needed care. Those bedridden or requiring palliative care faced particular difficulties.Govt is planning to undertake a comprehensive data collection exercise covering senior citizens across Keralam, including bedridden people, those with illnesses, dementia and cancer, and those requiring palliative care, he said.Satheesan said govt was preparing to introduce caregiver training courses from the next academic year. The courses could be offered through govt and private institutions across Keralam. Govt would decide on the duration and structure, including whether to offer six-month or one-year certificate programmes. The trainees could subsequently be given internships before being deployed to provide care, he said.He said the proposed caregiver courses could also create employment opportunities. Caregivers would work in a role below that of nurses, providing a separate category of trained personnel to meet the growing demand for elderly care.
