KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to take the rights of senior citizens seriously and to ensure the effective implementation of existing laws and policies related to their welfare.
The Commission called on the government to identify the needs and priorities of senior citizens and to give due importance to their concerns while formulating policies, plans, programmes, and budgets. It also emphasized the need to create opportunities for senior citizens to pass on their skills and experiences to future generations.
“NHRC directs all three tiers of government to focus on ensuring respect and dignity for senior citizens,” said NHRC Spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokharel. He also urged family members and civil society organizations to fulfill their responsibilities in safeguarding the rights and dignity of senior citizens.
A study conducted by the Commission on the implementation status of senior citizens’ rights, as guaranteed by Article 41 of the Constitution of Nepal and the Senior Citizens Act, 2063 (2006), found that many senior citizens remain unaware of their rights and have not experienced the effectiveness of state-provided services and facilities.
The study further revealed that senior citizens have been deprived of priority and other benefits in government-provided health and transportation services, which remain largely inaccessible, according to spokesperson Pokharel.
Similarly, a section of senior citizens has been facing loneliness due to family disintegration, neglect, and abandonment by family members, as well as the growing practice of placing them in old-age homes as an institutional norm. These trends have resulted in a lack of respect, care, and affection, preventing many senior citizens from fully enjoying their rights, he added.
Article 41 of the Constitution of Nepal guarantees senior citizens the right to special protection and social security from the State.
According to the National Census 2078 BS, Nepal’s senior citizen population stands at 2,977,318, with a growth rate of 3.5 percent—significantly higher than the overall population growth rate of 0.92 percent—indicating a rapidly increasing elderly population.
Meanwhile, Nepal is observing the Fifth National Senior Citizens Day today under the slogan “Our Collective Campaign: Reverence and Respect for Senior Citizens.” The Day, which has been celebrated since 2078 BS (2021 AD), aims to promote respect for senior citizens and protect their rights.
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