Elderline, the national helpline for senior citizens (toll free 14567), barely back on track in Kerala in mid-2025 after nearly two years of functioning amid severe restrictions, is now looking at another change that may impact the quality of help provided to senior citizens.
The helpline is a vital support system for seniors, especially since the percentage of seniors in the state’s population is projected to reach 22.8% by 2036.
Launched in the state in November 2021, the helpline, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) in collaboration with state implementing agencies, has been making effective interventions when hampered by staff cuts, limited funding and service cuts. After that, it took nearly two years for Elderline to become more efficient.
Over 20,000 calls per month
Just as things were progressing — the helpline received over 20,000 calls in January this year alone — the Union government took the decision to cut off state-level authorities and convert the helpline into a centralized zonal project from April 1.
Operations will be handled by Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. instead of NISD. The South Zone office is likely to be based in Hyderabad. This means that all calls from the south zone, including from Kerala, will be connected to the Hyderabad office.
The proposed restructuring has raised concerns that older people may find it difficult to navigate the language options or access services through IVR (interactive voice response) technology, which involves keyboard inputs or voice prompts. A question mark hangs over the effectiveness of the service as a large number of senior citizens contact the helpline to get information specific to Kerala, such as details of pensions, social security schemes or old age homes, and seek personal support from local authorities.
Kerala handles an average of 300 calls a day, but it is not clear whether it will be able to maintain the same volume of calls from the zonal offices or what will be the fate of the current employees.
Schemes to be affected
The restructuring will also challenge the implementation of the Social Justice Department’s Sallapam programme, which seeks to eliminate loneliness among the elderly by connecting them with the younger generation through telephone.
Since Elderline is the helpline for the tracking software that Kerala is preparing for the Senior Maintenance Scheme, any change will make it difficult for the elderly to apply for maintenance and find out their status, get copies of maintenance decisions or update the status of maintenance payments.
The state has decided to appoint one Field Response Officer (FRO) in each district as part of the Sayamprabha Rapid Response Team (RRT) initiative to ensure the safety, rehabilitation and welfare of the elderly. There are also plans for Elderline calls to be handed over to the FRO for fast-track action. You can also get feedback from older people through the helpline. Without Elderline in the state, the functioning of the RRT will be at risk, it is feared.
It is alleged that the Union government took the decision without consulting the states or providing clarity on how Elderline will be implemented.
Published – 19 Feb 2026 21:04 IST