THOOTHUKUDI: Urging the state government to constitute a commission for senior citizens by enacting a bill to safeguard their rights and address their issues, members of the Tamil Nadu Senior Citizens Welfare Movement drafted the Tamil Nadu Elders Rights Commission Bill, 2025. They submitted it to the Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment, P Geetha Jeevan.
As per the report ‘Elderly in India 2021,’ issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the population of senior citizens in the state has increased from 75.10 lakh in 2011 to 1.04 crore (13.6 % of the total population) in 2021 and it is expected to cross 1.42 crore (18.2 %) in 2031 in the wake of declining fertility and mortality rates and improvement of life expectancy due to medical advancements in both government and private health sectors.
A Sankar, president of the Tamil Nadu senior citizens welfare association, said that elderly people are neglected, abused, and are subjected to various ill treatments in society. They also do not have proper care, comfort, and most of them suffer from memory loss and health issues. Hence, a statutory body is required to ensure that they are given their rights.
Rajesh (72), a senior citizen, said that the number of old age homes is high in urban areas compared to rural pockets, and everyone needs a dignified life as they grow older.
A few activists said that the state government should establish day care centres in rural areas, and in order to encourage the volunteers assisting old people, the government should also distribute awards.
When asked, Minister Jeevan told TNIE that the government has approved day care centres in every district. However, it will mostly come up in urban areas first. A commission for the elderly will be considered at high-level meetings.