Keralam launches India’s first Elder-Friendly Office Certification
Four criteria are mandatory regardless of the overall score – entrance without stairs, toilet on the ground floor, priority queue for the elderly and staff specially designed to assist them. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
The Department of Elderly Care on Friday (September 11, 2026) launched Elder-Friendly Office Certification (EFOC), the first of its kind in the country, to make government offices across Kerala more senior-friendly.
The certification will cover institutions ranging from village and taluk offices to hospitals, banks and traffic counters. Inspections will be carried out to common standards and Gold, Silver or Bronze status will be awarded.
Regular revisions
Certificates must be renewed regularly and authorities will also face unannounced random checks.
Keralam has one of the highest proportions of senior citizens in India, with this proportion projected to increase over the next two decades.
While the newly formed department has introduced several programs for senior citizens, there is still no clear system to address the problems they face in government offices such as long queues, stairs without handrails, forms printed in small print. The EFOC is supposed to close this gap.
How it works
Offices will be assessed in five areas: building accessibility (30%), service delivery (25%), staff training and behavior (20%), communication (15%) and participation (10%).
Four criteria are mandatory regardless of the overall score – entrance without stairs, toilet on the ground floor, priority queue for the elderly and staff specially designed to assist them.
An office lacking any of these items will not be certified.
A score of 85% or higher, with no domain below 60%, earns a five-year gold certificate. A score of 70-84% earns Silver, also valid for five years. A score of 60-69% results in a provisional two-year bronze, confirmed only after re-inspection.
Similar to global models
About 10% of certified offices will be inspected without notice each year. Visits and scoring will be conducted by independent third-party agencies that have no ties to the agencies they are evaluating.
The registry will be managed by a nodal cell under the department, while a state-level management committee will approve standards and decide gold prices.
EFOC draws on the Sharjah model in the United Arab Emirates, the WHO Age-Friendly Cities Network and the US Certified Age-Friendly Employer program. The technical standards for ramps, signage and toilets are governed by the 2021 National Guidelines under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act – the first time they have been unified for a system of this kind in India.
Introduction
Phase one includes finalization of criteria, issuance of government order and empaneling of agencies. A pilot project will follow within six months, covering one office per district.
In the second year, the scheme will be expanded nationwide to include village, taluk and collectorate offices, finance ministries, RTOs and government hospitals and in the third year, other offices will be included.
Private hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies can participate voluntarily for a fee. Certified authorities receive a plaque and a digital certificate with a QR code and are listed in the public register. Gold-rated offices receive priority in the Silver Economy program.
The pilot phase is expected to start during this financial year once the agency’s enforcement is complete.
Published – 11 Sep 2026 20:03 IST