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Kerala Plans Statewide Time Bank to Support Senior Citizens

20 hours ago

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Kerala is planning a Time Bank that converts volunteer hours spent helping senior citizens into digital credits for future assistance.

By News National Editorial Team

Kerala is preparing a statewide Time Bank initiative designed to encourage community volunteering and provide practical assistance to senior citizens. Under the proposed system, volunteers will earn digital credits for the time they spend helping older people, which they may later use when they need support themselves.

The proposal has been developed by the state's Department of Senior Citizens. The concept was first introduced in Elikulam panchayat in Kottayam district under the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC).

According to a report published by The New Indian Express on November 9, the department plans to digitally record the hours contributed by registered volunteers and convert them into time credits.

The idea is based on mutual assistance rather than direct payment. For example, a volunteer who spends an hour accompanying an elderly person to a hospital or helping them use a smartphone could receive a corresponding credit. Those credits could later be redeemed for assistance or transferred to family members, subject to the final rules.

The proposed activities include companionship visits, helping senior citizens access digital services such as UPI payments and video calls, reading clubs, indoor games, storytelling and recreational programmes.

The department is also considering ways to make the credits useful to younger volunteers before they need to redeem them for elderly care. Options under discussion include academic incentives and travel-related benefits.

The proposed digital platform would manage volunteer registration, record service hours and maintain credit balances. Organisations such as the National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps, Student Police Cadets, Scouts and Guides, Kudumbashree and local youth clubs may help mobilise volunteers.

The initiative is significant for Kerala because of its ageing population. The New Indian Express report cited projections that nearly one in four people in the state could be aged 60 or above by 2036.

The department is considering a phased rollout, beginning with selected districts or local self-government institutions. Detailed operational guidelines are still to be formalised, so the statewide programme should be understood as a proposal rather than a fully implemented scheme.

If introduced effectively, the Time Bank could help strengthen social connections, reduce isolation among older people and create a more organised system of community support.

Sources

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