Thiruvananthapuram/Kumbanad/Kozhikode: For 37 years, primary school teacher M.J. Sosamma was surrounded by the lively energy of young students in Keralam’s Kozhikode. Following her retirement in 2004, her husband remained her steady companion until his death a few years ago left her in deep isolation—a toll that soon weighed on her physical and cognitive health.
Life shifted when the 78-year-old learned about Pakalveedu, a civic-run daycare centre located just two kilometers away in Kunduparambu.
Now a weekday regular, Sosamma has reclaimed her zest for life among contemporaries, passing the hours cooking, playing games, chatting and bursting into spontaneous music and dance.
“I used to dread the weekdays. Now I look forward to them,” she said sitting amid her friends Saroja Bhaskar (80), Rita Ravindran (65) and Devi T.K. (70). They all agreed with her.
“I am alone at home and life has been difficult in recent months. Coming here eases things a lot,” Devi said.
The day this writer visited the centre, the senior men were reading newspapers, their attention interrupted by a sudden burst of monsoon shower. As the day wore on, they played games—chess, carrom, and Tambola. Lunch, tea and snacks are served on the house. On some days, they attend classes on cooking, healthy living and motivation. The more health-conscious among them work out in an open-air gym before heading home at 5pm.
Started in 2021, the Kunduparambu Pakalveedu was the first daycare centre for senior citizens set up by the Kozhikode Corporation. In 2025, it won the best ‘Pakalveedu’ award among the 150 that are operational in Keralam today.
“Pakalveedu has turned out to be a boon for senior citizens,” said S. Jayasree, deputy mayor, Kozhikode Corporation. These centres are not just about beating loneliness. The health of senior citizens is monitored as well, she added.
Fun trips are arranged periodically. The Kappad beach, where Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama first landed, is one of their favourite destinations. Some senior citizens experienced their first airplane journey when they went to Bengaluru recently.
The seven fully funded Pakalveedu facilities the Kozhikode Corporation runs are just one part of its efforts in elderly care. The corporation spends 10% of its ₹132 crore annual outlay on the welfare of senior citizens, who account for 17% of the city’s population. Not surprising, Kozhikode was included as one of the most age-friendly cities globally by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2024.
It is not just Kozhikode, many corporations and panchayats across Keralam give special focus to senior citizens. This is because the state is experiencing a demographic transition at a pace faster than the rest of the country. In other words, Keralam is aging fast and has earned the moniker, the ‘geriatric capital of India’.
According to a study jointly conducted by the Population Foundation of India (PFI) and International Institute of Migration and Development (IIMD) in 2025, 18.6% of Keralam’s population is today aged 60 years and above as against the India average of 10.8%.
“Keralam is entering a phase where aging has become a major governance issue involving dignity, healthcare, mobility, safety and social justice,” chief minister V.D. Satheesan recently said. “Aging is no longer a private family concern.”
Recognizing this demographic shift, the state has steadily strengthened its social safety net for the elderly. The previous Left Democratic Front government pioneered an ‘elderly budget’ to track interdepartmental spending and established a quasi-judicial elderly commission to safeguard senior rights. Backing these policies with substantial resources, the state ramped up its commitment in the 2026–27 budget, allocating 19% of its total outlay exclusively to senior citizens.
The new United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by Satheesan is formulating policies to take these efforts forward. It has set up a separate department for elderly welfare.
