As a senior consultant in geriatric medicine at Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, a multi-speciality hospital in the national capital, Dr. Harjit Singh regularly meets senior citizens who are not seeking medicines or treatment alone. They are looking for something deeper — a reason to stay engaged with life.
"Whenever I conduct a monthly awareness event at the hospital, senior citizens approach me and ask if there is any volunteer work or meaningful activity they can participate in. If around 100 people attend such an event, at least 15 to 20 of them express a desire to contribute in some productive way," he says.
The conversations reflect a growing reality in India. As life expectancy rises and more people spend decades in retirement, loneliness, social isolation, and loss of purpose are emerging as significant public health concerns.
According to Dr. Singh, the problem often begins after retirement when professional identities disappear, social circles shrink and children move away for jobs or education.
"Almost every month I meet senior citizens who openly speak about their loneliness and ask how they can overcome it," he says.
Yet, what many see as a challenge may also be an opportunity.
Across India, initiatives such as the Inspiring Tutors Programme run by the Inspiring Seniors Foundation (ISF) are demonstrating how retired professionals can continue contributing to society while improving their own wellbeing.
One such volunteer is 65-year-old retired teacher Alka Juneja from St Francis Senior Secondary School, Janakpuri, Delhi.
When she retired in January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun. The transition from a busy classroom to prolonged isolation was difficult.
"I badly wanted to do something. I felt like I should teach somebody the job I had been doing all my life," she recalls.
A veteran accounts teacher who spent nearly 25 years teaching, Juneja initially explored opportunities at nearby charitable institutions. However, health issues made travel difficult.
The turning point came when a relative introduced her to the Inspiring Seniors Foundation and its founder, Malti Jaswal.
"I was looking for this. Then I joined the institution. Since then, I have been very happy." For the past two years, she has been mentoring underprivileged children online from her home.
"Everything is online, and the activities are also online. We enjoy those activities, as there is no need to travel long distances," Juneja, who is now battling Parkinson's disease, says.
For her, the experience is not merely about teaching mathematics or accounts. "I wanted to help somewhere. Something should be returned to society for those who cannot afford tuition, those who want to do so much but are not able to because there is no guidance."
The programme has given her structure, purpose and a renewed sense of relevance. Her observations are echoed by geriatric specialists.
According to Dr. Singh, meaningful engagement is one of the most effective ways to combat loneliness among older adults.
"For the past few years, we have been working to engage the older generation in meaningful activities. Academic tutoring is one avenue, but seniors can also contribute through cultural, spiritual and community-based activities. The key is to keep them involved and utilise their knowledge and experience."
The challenge, he says, is creating systems that connect willing volunteers with communities that need them.
"If we can create a streamlined model that connects senior citizens with some activities they like, it can keep them busy as well as contributory. They will feel more motivated and engaged. Doing something useful gives them a sense of purpose and satisfaction."
The idea is already gaining traction.
At a recent national roundtable organised jointly by HelpAge India and the Inspiring Seniors Foundation in Delhi, policymakers, educators, healthcare experts and civil society representatives discussed how India's growing elderly population could become a valuable resource for addressing educational gaps.
At the deliberation, the participants were shown how the Inspiring Tutors Programme, which connects retired professionals with schoolchildren through online mentoring, has already engaged more than 100 senior citizen tutors who have delivered over 3,700 online classes in English, Mathematics and Science, benefiting more than 200 students across eight schools.
The model is particularly relevant as India undergoes rapid demographic change.
By 2050, the country's elderly population is expected to increase substantially, raising important questions about healthy ageing and social participation.
"Retirement should not mean withdrawal from society," added Jaswal, who has been associated with the corporate world, including as a senior consultant with the World Bank, before launching this initiative for elderly people after her retirement.
Reflecting on the roundtable discussions, she said: "The Inspiring Tutors Programme is a scalable model for productive ageing, establishing our seniors as an essential national asset. Together, we have committed to the ambitious goal of reaching 10,000 senior volunteers teaching 100,000 students by 2030, transforming intergenerational engagement into lasting social impact."
Rohit Prasad, CEO, HelpAge India, said society needs to rethink how it views ageing. "We need to view ageing not as a decline but as growth. Seniors have a lot to contribute; they come with rich lived experiences and knowledge. Today, an increasing number of older adults aspire to remain active, engaged and valued members of society."
International ageing expert Prof. Philip O'Keefe, Centre for Population Ageing Research, Sydney, and former World Bank specialist, agreed as he underscored the dual benefits of intergenerational programmes. He cited evidence from global studies that demonstrates significant social and economic returns while improving wellbeing among both seniors and young people.
Eminent public health expert Dr. Nachiket Mor called for creating a broader ecosystem of engagement opportunities for senior citizens and encouraged stronger institutional partnerships to scale proven models that combine social impact with cost-effectiveness.
Representing the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Ram Singh, Joint Director, observed that senior citizens can contribute not only academic support but also life skills, values and mentorship that enrich the learning experience of students. He pointed to the Government of India's Vidyanjali platform as a potential mechanism to facilitate wider participation by senior volunteers in schools.
Delivering the keynote address, Amit Yadav, former Secretary, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, praised the programme's innovative approach and stressed the importance of leveraging technology to extend such interventions to underserved and rural communities across the country and scaling them up.
The benefits extend beyond students. Research worldwide has shown that purposeful volunteering can reduce loneliness, improve mental health, maintain cognitive function and enhance quality of life among older adults.
For instance, for retired government officer Jyoti Gangwani, who volunteers as an online tutor, the experience has been transformative.
"After retirement, I felt like a liability. Activities like teaching allow us to stay connected with society, use our experience productively and continue contributing to the country's development," says the former Chief Technology Officer at ICAR-IASRI.
She is presently mentoring two government-school students online. There are issues such as children's teaching getting interrupted due to their family's mobile data running out. Despite the challenges, she remains committed to helping them continue learning.
"Besides supporting children in their studies, we also try to help them learn moral values and life lessons that can guide them throughout their lives," she says.
No doubt, experiences like these illustrate how intergenerational programmes create a true win-win situation for both generations. Children gain academic support, mentorship and exposure to real-life experiences that textbooks cannot provide, while senior citizens find companionship, purpose and a renewed sense of belonging as they continue to contribute meaningfully to society in their later years.
Dr. Singh summed up by saying that the Government should also explore models under which skilled and experienced senior citizens, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds, are compensated for the valuable skills and services they provide to society.
