Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Inaugurates Geriatric Care Training Programme
Union Secretary of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Sudhansh Pant, inaugurated a Five-Day Geriatric Care Training Programme at Education Hub at Kevdi Diu in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu on October 9, 2026. The programme is organized by the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, in collaboration with the Office of the Collector, Diu, Union Territory Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The initiative aims to create a pool of approximately 50 trained and sensitized Anganwadi Workers, frontline workers, and grassroots-level functionaries in Diu District. The training is specifically contextualized to address the needs of senior citizens in Diu District, with focus on strengthening locally available support systems for an ageing population, including senior citizens living alone, those requiring assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), and older persons with limited access to family-based care.
Comprehensive Training Curriculum
The 5-day training programme covers multiple dimensions of elderly care including physical, psychological, emotional, and social aspects of ageing. Key training areas include the ageing process and changing needs of senior citizens; rights, dignity and well-being of older persons; roles of families, communities and frontline caregivers; principles of basic geriatric care; assistance with routine activities and ADLs; personal hygiene; nutrition and hydration; medication-related support; mobility assistance; safe transfer techniques; fall prevention and home safety.
The programme also includes basic first aid and response to common emergencies, communication skills, psychosocial support, addressing loneliness and social isolation, emotional well-being, and dementia awareness with basic caregiving approaches. Special emphasis is placed on prevention, identification and reporting of neglect, abuse and exploitation of senior citizens, while reinforcing principles of privacy, dignity, respect and compassionate care.
Government Schemes and Practical Implementation
Participants will be oriented to Government schemes, programmes, institutional mechanisms and support services available for senior citizens, enabling them to facilitate timely access to relevant benefits and services. The training adopts a practical, participatory and field-oriented approach using technical sessions, interactive lectures, demonstrations, practical exercises, case studies and field-oriented examples. Group activities, experience-sharing and question-and-answer sessions will help participants relate training inputs to field experience.
Expected Outcomes and Significance
The programme is expected to enhance capacity to provide basic care and support to older persons, improve early identification of senior citizens requiring additional care or referral, strengthen awareness of Government schemes and support mechanisms, and improve community-level support for elderly persons living alone or with limited family support. This represents a focused capacity-building intervention to strengthen the local ecosystem of elderly care in Diu District and promote a more responsive, inclusive and supportive environment for senior citizens.
Joint Secretaries of the Ministry Dr Sandeep R Rathod and Shri Sajeesh Kumar N, Director NISD Shri Gaurav Singh Rajawat, and Collector of Diu Shri Rahul Dev Boora attended the inaugural session. Ms. Asha Sharma, Course Coordinator, and Ms. Ritu Dandriyal, Junior Consultant from the Senior Citizen Division of NISD, are conducting the programme, which is coordinated by the Deputy Director (Training) & Head, Senior Citizen Division, NISD in consultation with the Office of the Collector, Diu.