Despite the existence of such various provisions and schemes for senior citizens, their benefits have reached very few senior citizens. Often the senior citizens are unaware of their entitlements and sometimes they are in too destitute a condition to be able to access the said benefits. In most families, elderly are not only deprived of their properties but also subject to all forms of abuse ripping them off their dignity, leading to significant elderly abuse.

The Laws and the schemes lay down the entitlements of the senior citizens and if the senior citizens have any difficulty in availing their entitlements under the laws and the Schemes, it is felt by NALSA that Legal services Institutions have a significant role to play and they can play a vital role in ensuring access to benefits of the schemes and the legal provisions to senior citizens. Thus, NALSA Act itself casts a duty upon the Legal Services Authorities (State Legal Services Authority and the District Legal Services Authority) to spread legal awareness about the laws and various administrative measures and programmes and to undertake preventive and strategic programmes. Hence, the NALSA (Legal Services to Senior Citizens) Scheme was brought out in the year 2016.

The main objectives of this scheme includes the following

1. 1: To outline the basic rights and benefits that should be accorded to senior citizens.
2. 2: To strengthen legal aid and representation at the national, state, district and taluka levels for senior citizens.
3. 3: To ensure access to various Governmental schemes and programs to the senior citizens.
4. 4: To ensure that the authorities and institutions such as the Tribunals and the appellate tribunals under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens act, 2007, old age homes for senior citizens have been established.
5. 5: To create and spread awareness about the rights and entitlements of the senior citizens under the various laws and Governmental schemes and programs through the District Legal Service Authorities, Taluka Legal Services Committees, panel lawyers, para-legal volunteers, students and legal services clinics.
6. 6: To enhance capacities at all levels of panel lawyers, para-legal volunteers, volunteers in legal services clinics, government officers tasked with the implementation of the various schemes, service providers, police personnel, non-governmental organizations by organizing training, orientation and sensitization programs.
7. 7: To undertake research and documentation to study the various schemes, laws etc to find out the gaps, the needs and to make suggestions to the appropriate authorities.

For effective implementation of the NALSA (Legal Services to Senior Citizens) Scheme 2016 in the state of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority approached NIMHANS, which is an Institute of National Importance with significant contribution for clinical services, training and research in the field of mental health and neurosciences related to ageing. NIMHANS has been collaborating with Karnataka Legal Services Authority and successfully conducting ‘The Free Legal Aid Clinic’ for patients with mental and neurological illness since 2011.

In the meantime, The Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, Government of Karnataka had proposed to initiate ‘State Level Resource Centre for Senior Citizens’ at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) to provide information and promote awareness on various schemes and services for senior citizens including ‘The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007’.

The concept proposal for the collaboration between NIMHANS and KSLSA for co-ordinating the effective implementation of NALSA (Legal Services to Senior Citizens) Scheme 2016 in Karnataka was approved by the KSLSA General Body. NIMHANS was hence noted as the Nodal Centre for implementation of NALSA Scheme.

A board of members including Hon’ble Justice Shri. Ashok B Hinchigeri was nominated as the chairman for the advisory board along with other prominent members such as Shri. S. V. Ranganath, Smt. Uma Mahadevan from the Dept. of Women and Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens and others and Dr. P. T. Sivakumar as the Nodal Officer.

The programme came to be called as ‘Age Friendly Karnataka’, this is in line with the World Health Organization’ initiative of the ‘Age Friendly Communities’. The vision of the ‘Age Friendly Karnataka’ is to promote well-being of all senior citizens through promoting respect, rights and safety.