Keralam on Monday became the first state in the country to unanimously pass a comprehensive law to protect senior citizens from abuse and exploitation, and ensure better access to healthcare and social security
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Keralam on Monday became the first state in the country to unanimously pass a comprehensive law to protect senior citizens from abuse and exploitation, and ensure better access to healthcare and social security, with Chief Minister V D Satheesan vowing to build a model for elderly care that would draw global attention.
The Keralam Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, was passed unanimously by the state Assembly after the government accepted several amendments moved by members of both the ruling and opposition benches.
The legislation seeks to establish a legal framework for elderly care and safeguard the rights of senior citizens. It provides for imprisonment and fines for offences such as abusing senior citizens, illegally possessing their property and running unregistered elderly care centres.
The bill will become law after receiving the Governor's assent.
Moving the motion for its passage, Satheesan said he felt proud to pilot a law that would protect people who might otherwise be left isolated.
"I stand here with a sense of pride that we have been able to pilot a law that can embrace many people who might otherwise have been left isolated, and that assures them that their rights will be protected," he said.
The Chief Minister said the legislation was also a political commitment and an election promise, but the government wanted to take it beyond that.
"Our dream is to create a model in Keralam that will be among the best in the country and one that the world will look at with great interest," he said.
Satheesan thanked members of both the ruling and opposition benches for their cooperation and amendments, saying they had helped improve the original draft.
The Chief Minister said the law was needed in a world undergoing major demographic changes, with advances in medical science and technology expected to increase life expectancy further.
Satheesan referred to the possibility of future generations living beyond 100 years and said developments in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and healthcare were changing the way people understood ageing and disease.
"We are witnessing a knowledge revolution," he said, adding that the law was also a preparation for the changing world.
The Chief Minister stressed that senior citizens should not merely receive protection and care but should also be helped to remain active and contribute to society.
He urged MLAs to develop innovative programmes in their constituencies in consultation with colleagues and local bodies to make elderly people more active and productive.
"I can assure you of one thing. If you, as MLAs, come up with good and noteworthy schemes in your constituencies and take up this challenge, the state government will adopt them," he said.
The Chief Minister said passing the law alone would not be enough and that innovative schemes were needed to translate it into action. He also referred to the introduction of old-age pensions in Keralam in 1963 under the leadership of Chief Minister R Sankar, describing the new legislation as a continuation of that initiative.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the bill fulfilled one of the five guarantees presented by Rahul Gandhi before the people of Keralam during the last Assembly election. Chennithala said he had chaired the manifesto committee at the time.
He congratulated Satheesan for piloting the legislation and described its passage as a moment of historic importance.
Chennithala referred to incidents in which elderly parents were allegedly abandoned by their children at railway stations and other public places. He also spoke about the difficulties faced by elderly people living alone after their children moved abroad for employment.
"Keralam has today paved the way for legislation that is extremely necessary," Chennithala said.
CPI(M) leader K N Balagopal said the legislation was a continuation of Keralam's commitment to the welfare of elderly people.
He recalled that Keralam had been the first state in India to introduce welfare pensions for elderly agricultural workers. The pension was Rs 45 when the scheme was introduced in 1980, he said.
Balagopal, who held the finance portfolio in the previous Left government, also referred to the state's elderly policy and the role of the Elderly Commission, saying the existing mechanisms should be strengthened to make their implementation more effective.
He said Keralam had also introduced an elderly budget and a programme called 'Second Innings' to help retired people use their experience and expertise for productive activities.
"Words and statements alone are not enough. We must all think together with a sense of compassion. We must be able to intervene effectively to resolve the problems faced by these people," Balagopal said.
Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said the Assembly was opening a new chapter in history by passing the legislation unanimously.
The law provides for jail terms and fines for offences such as abusing senior citizens, illegally possessing their property and operating unregistered care centres.
It focuses not only on welfare and care but also on developing a "silver economy" by using the knowledge and professional experience of people aged 60 and above.
The law also envisages a system of registration, regulation and monitoring of institutions providing care to senior citizens, with the aim of improving service standards and ensuring transparency and accountability.