KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to take senior citizens’ rights seriously and to effectively implement existing laws and policies related to them.

The Commission has 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 has also echoed 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 further 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 are unaware of their rights and have not experienced the effectiveness of state-provided services and facilities.

The study also revealed that senior citizens have been deprived of priority and other benefits in government-provided health and transportation services, and that such services 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, and the growing practice of placing them in old-age homes as an institutionalized norm. These practices have led to a lack of respect, care, and affection, thereby preventing 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.

The existing total population of senior citizens in Nepal stands at 2 million 977 thousand 318. According to the National Census 2078 BS, the population growth rate of senior citizens is 3.5 percent, significantly higher than the overall population growth rate of 0.92 percent, indicating a faster increase compared to other age groups.

Meanwhile, Nepal is marking the Fifth National Senior Citizens Day today with the slogan “Our Collective Campaign: Reverence and Respect for Senior Citizens.”

The celebration of the Day which began in 2078 BS (2021 AD) aims to promote respect for senior citizens and safeguard their rights.