Keralam Assembly presented with senior-care protection bill

Keralam’s Legislative Assembly was presented with a bill proposing a framework to regulate senior-care services and protect older people from abuse, exploitation and neglect. The Keralam Senior Citizens Care and Protection of Rights Bill, 2026, was presented on October 13. The supplied reports do not establish whether it has passed or become law, so its provisions remain proposals. The bill proposes mandatory registration and oversight of senior citizen care centres, including homes, day-care facilities, hospices and home-care agencies. It would also establish registration and certification arrangements for caregivers, with a public register of certified workers. Caregivers would be entitled to protections including fair pay, safe working conditions and applicable social security benefits. The proposed penalties include up to three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for abuse, cruelty or abandonment of a senior citizen. The same maximum penalties are proposed for illegally possessing a resident’s property. Operating an unregistered care centre could bring up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Rs 25,000, or both.