Report on Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Geriatric Center and Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, India 17-22 May 2010

Members of Geriatric Center Nepal and Senior Citizens Council of Delhi with The Right Honorable Dr. (in center) and Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Honorable Sarwadev Prasad Ojha (in black suit) at , , Nepal

Geriatric Center Nepal – GPO Box 23200 UPC-119, Battisputali, Kathmandu, P.h.No. +977-1-4461570, 4490395 E-mail : [email protected] , http://www.gecenep.com

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From the left

1. L.R. Garg, Member, SCCD, retired Director in IG Telecom Ltd, Rajasthan, India

2. Bharat Raj Poudel, CEO, GCN, former Journalist, Nepal

3. Dr. Gaurishanker Lal Das, Founder Member, National Senior Citizens Organizations'

Network Nepal (NSCONN) Jestha Nagarik Sanstha Sanjal, Nepal

4. Rohit Thapa, Vice President of GCN, retired Additional Inspector General of Police, Nepal

5. Krishna M. Gautam, Founder Chairperson, GCN, retired rural development worker, Nepal

6. The President of Nepal, Right Honorable Dr. Ram Baran Yadav (in center)

7. Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Hon'ble Mr. Sarwadev Prasad Ojha

8. J.R. Gupta, The President of SCCD, India

9. D.P. Jindal, Member, SCC, retired Superintending Engineer from Indian Institute of

Technology, India

10. Hemaraj, Member, SCCD retired Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, India

11. Balaram Lohani, Life Member of GCN, retired Superintendent of Police, Nepal

12. Dr Ram Nagina Prasad Singh, Member, National Human Rights Commission, Nepal

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DEDICATED TO ALL SENIOR CITIZENS OF

INDIA AND NEPAL

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Executive Summary: Together We Grow Better 1. Background Global Context South Asia Nepal India

2. Ageing Issues of India and Nepal

3. Common Efforts for Common Cause Geriatric Center Nepal Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, India

4. Details on Nepal Tour by SCCD Delegates MOU signing Ceremony at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Scope of MOU Program at Rastrapati Bhawan Meet the Press Wrap-up Meeting Departure

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 4 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Executive Summary Together we grow better

This report provides an example on how two different institutions working for the cause of ageing population in their respective countries can come together with the commitment to collaborate for serving ageing population of both the countries and in doing so get the involvement of their government authorities. The case is of two neighboring countries India and Nepal who not only share the common border but also the common socio-cultural values and demographic characteristics.

The story is simple. Geriatric Center Nepal (GCN) in Kathmandu and Senior Citizens Council of Delhi (SCCD) in India established contacts through web-net about three months back, i.e., February 2010. GCN took the initiative to write SCCD asking if it would like to explore possibilities for joint activities in the future. They agreed and few e-mails were exchanged. Invitation was issued by GCN for a four member team from SCCD to visit Nepal for a week. Invitees from SCCD paid for their own air-travel while GCN agreed to bear the local cost for invitees while in Nepal. Dates and program for four days visit was mutually fixed. The Council members arrived Nepal on 17 th May 2010. The final wordings of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that set the ground rule for joint activities was mutually drafted and agreed. On 18 th May, together they went to the concerned Minister's office in Kathmandu where representatives of both organizations signed the MOU in presence of the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, and senior officers of the ministry. The minister also signed the MOU to mark his presence on the occasion. Thus an initiative taken by one non-government organization took the form of a bilateral cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

On the same evening, a brief interaction program was organized to mark the occasion at the resident of The President of Nepal Right Honorable Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. Imminent personalities of Human Rights Organizations, Social Welfare, Press, Judiociary and others were also invited. Honorable Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Mr. Sarwadev Prasad Ojha was also present as the Special Guest for the occasion. The President was briefed on the main activities the two signing organizations have been doing for elderly in their respective countries and the objectives of signing the MOU. The President was presented with publications and memento by the leaders of GCN and SCCD. The President later addressed the gathering and was appreciative of the work being done for ageing population of both countries. The event was well covered by national media. All this happened within three months from the date when the first e- mail was exchanged between GCN and SCCD.

Many objectives were achieved from the above work. More people, including the concerned government authorities and imminent personalities became ware of the issues of ageing population. GCN and SCCD together can now achieve more which ultimately will benefit the elders of both the countries. Each of these organizations has its own areas of comparative advantages which will lead to synergetic effect when they work together for betterment of elders in those countries.

This modality of networking and cooperation among non-government and private sector agencies of different countries that effectively involve the government authorities could be of relevance for many others to adopt in their own context.

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 5 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Report on Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Geriatric Center Nepal and Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, India 17-22 May 2010 1. Background Global Context Advances in medical technology and services have led to increase in life expectancy. This has caused increase in both the number and proportion of elderly people in total population of the world. The high rate of increase of 60+ populations has made population ageing the major concern of the 21 st century. According to projections by the UN Population Division, there will be two elderly persons for every child in the world by 2050. This implies that the aged 60 and above, which currently constitute less than 20% of the population will account for 32% of the population by 2050. The proportion of older persons has been rising steadily, passing from 8% in 1950 to 11% in 2009, and is expected to reach 22% in 2050 (UN, ESA/P/WP/212, 2009)

Elderly constitute about 11% of the old population and the figure for Asia is 9.7%. Since the International Plan of Action on Ageing was adopted by the United Nations (UN) in Vienna, Austria in 1982, concerns for the elderly have increased in all member countries. Twenty years later, the Second World Assembly on Ageing was held in Madrid, Spain in 2002. It outlined an action plan in the assembly at national and regional levels to increase awareness of ageing issues and develop concrete plans of action for ageing societies. However, advances have been few and far between in much of the developed world and virtually overlooked in developing countries.

Another disturbing revelation made by the UN agency is that future fertility levels in the most developing countries is expected to fall below 2.1 children per woman, the level needed to ensure the long-term replacement of the population. As for the developed countries such as Japan and Germany, rapid graying of the population could result in an acute manpower shortage, requiring the services of the "guest workers" to run the engines of economy in industrialized countries.

South Asia There are about 400 million 60+ people living in Asia as of 2009 and majority of them are women. There are 124 million people above 60 years of age living in South-Central-Asia which is about 7% of their total population (UN 2009). Clearly, the changing balance between the age groups would make the aged more of a burden on society, as large proportion of the resources meant for developmental activities would need to be diverted to take care of the needs of the elderly population. Significantly, for countries like India and Thailand, it will take only 25 years for their aged population to get doubled.

In all southern Asian countries the growth rate of the population aged 60 and above exceeds that of the population total. Projections indicate a pronounced increase in the elderly population in the coming decades to follow. The elderly in South Asian countries face many problems such as insolvency, loss of authority, social insecurity, insufficient recreational facilities, a lack of overall physical and mental care, problems associated with living armaments and many others.

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 6 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Japan ranks the first in the world with 30% population aged 60 over. Nepal and India rank 105 th and 124 th with 6.1 and 7.4 percentages, respectively, for their population aged 60 over. The median age of population of Nepal and India is 21.1 and 24.7 respectively (UN 2009).

Nepal Very little is known about the elderly in Nepal, one of the poorest countries of the world located between China and India - the first and second most populated countries of the world. While the proportion of elderly is increasing both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of Nepal’s total population, traditional family norms and values of supporting the elderly are eroding at an alarming rate as in many other developing countries. In Nepal during the 1950s, life expectancy was quite low (about 27 years) due to a high infant mortality rate. However, a continuous decrease in the infant mortality rate has led to an increase in the life expectancy. Consequently, in the first decade of the 20th century, life expectancy in Nepal has reached above 60 years (GCN, 2010).

India In July 2009 Matt Rosenberg wrote that with 1.15 billion people, India is currently the world's second largest country. India crossed the one billion mark in the year 2000, one year after the world's population crossed the six billion threshold. Demographers expect India's population to surpass the population of China, currently the most populous country in the world, by 2030. At that time, India is expected to have a population of more than 1.53 billion while China's population is forecast to be at its peak of 1.46 billion (and will begin to drop in subsequent years). India is currently home to about 1.15 billion people, representing a full 17% of the earth’s population. When India gained independence from the United Kingdom sixty years ago, the country's population was a mere 350 million. Since 1947, the population of India has more than tripled (about.com:geography)

According to the census of 2001, almost 72% of population lives in rural India. It is estimated that about 31% population is below the age of 14, and 64.3% are in age group of 15–64 years . India stands as 105th country in the world ranking with 7.4% of its population above 60 years of age. The median age of the population is 24.7. (UN 2009)

2. Ageing Issues of India and Nepal India and Nepal are neighboring countries. They not only share common borders but also common culture, social traits and demographic characteristics. Consequently, many of the concerns of ageing populations are also common.

The rapid modernization, growing urbanization and crumbling of joint family system has increased insecurity and loneliness among the geriatric population. However, India and Nepal have not yet come out with an adequate policy framework to provide social security for the elders. Lack of family support, poor financial status, physical and mental disorders and guilt of being dependent on others are some of the problems nagging the elderly population of both the countries.

Sometime back, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, while referring to the ageing population had observed: "Trees grow stronger over the years, river wider and like with the age, human beings gain immeasurable depth and breadth of experience and wisdom. That is why older persons should

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 7 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com not only be respected and revered but they should be utilized as the rich resource to society that they are".

An in-depth study by the New Delhi-based All India Institute of Medial Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that elderly women are affected more by dementia, depression and psychosomatic disorders than their male counterparts. According to this study, the population structure of the elderly is dominated by poorly educated women, economically dependent on children without any tangible authority or status in the family (AB Dey, 2006).

An ageing society will give rise to special problems from health, family and social perspectives. For instance, there will be an increasing demand for geriatricians with knowledge and expertise required to handle and treat the elderly population. From the family side, the elderly population looks forward to emotional support, love and affection. But unfortunately, the concept of a welfare state where many of the needs of the ageing population are taken care of by the state is being criticized by agencies, such as the World Bank, which are keen that governments provide only minimum levels of social security to the elderly population groups.

As sociologists point out, the biggest enemies of the geriatric population include solitude, loneliness, isolation, neglect and a sense of not being wanted. In order to combat loneliness, the elderly population needs to interact with their friends, families and neighbors. Regular exercise and intake of a balanced diet will go a long way towards helping the elderly population maintain its physical fitness and mental poise.

Giving up alcohol, quitting smoking, avoiding stress and indulging in rest and relaxation are some of the other vital steps to turn the old age into a veritable blessing. In fact, in recent years, there has emerged a new professional group of geriatricians who are well equipped to deal with the special problems of the senior citizens.

Unfortunately, very little attention has been focused on the pitiable plight of the elderly population in rural areas of both the countries. Field studies pertaining to the problems of the aged in rural area reveal that deteriorating health and economic insecurity are the most pressing problems facing the elderly population in villages (GCN 2010).

An increasing number of older persons are falling prey to geriatric diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis, osteoporosis, dementia, cardiac complications and mental depression. A paper on the mental health of the ageing population by Dr. Vikram Patel and Martin Prince, points out that in the developing world, including India, the aged with psychological problems do not get the required medical attention. In particular, the study found that while dementia is considered a normal process of ageing that a doctor cannot help much and depression is rarely diagnosed or treated.

3. Common Efforts for Common Cause We can achieve more by working together. Guided by this belief and realizing the common characteristics of ageing issues in India and Nepal, the two organizations - Geriatric Center Nepal and Senior Citizens Council of Delhi - came together to establish a common ground for mutual cooperation. Both of these organizations have been actively involved in serving the interest of ageing societies in their respective countries.

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Geriatric Center Nepal (GC) Geriatric Center Nepal (GCN) was established in July 2009 and is registered with the government of Nepal. It is the first organization of its type in Nepal. A holistic approach to address the physical, mental, social, economic, legal and spiritual needs of the elderly through right based approach is its specialty. GCN started this pioneering venture from its head office in Battisputali, Kathmandu, and is planning to expand its services in other parts of Nepal working with various government and non-government organizations in and out of the country.

GCN office complex at Battisputali, Kathmandu, Nepal

GCN currently is involved in following activities. a) Provide day-care center with facilities for Physio-therapy, Yoga, spiritual preaching and cultural rites, prayers/devotional songs/dance, talk programmes from reputed personalities, indoor-games and entertainments, book and e-library, Ayurvedic health massage, steam-bath, sun-bath, medical attendants and health check-up, healthy food, pilgrimage and tours to places of interest and so on. b) Provide residential services that include all facilities as for the day-care. c) Community and family support services: GCN provides professional support to communities, organizations and households in the form of regular health check-up, training, geriatric-support supplies, and counseling for elders and care takers. d) Awareness building: GCN publishes and disseminates awareness building materials such as pamphlets, booklets, books, and posters. In addition, it also uses other mass media such as newspapers, radio and TV programmes. e) Consultancy services: The available expertise and its large network of professionals make GCN a suitable organization for developing concept papers, project proposals, conduction of research, survey, workshop/seminar; policy formulation, programme/project planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and other such activities for scientific investigation related to ageing population and their well being. A diverse culture, traditions and climatic settings spread over small geographic area (about 147181 square kilometers) in Nepal provides an ideal ground for the study of a wide range of issues of ageing population that can be of value also to many other countries and regions. f) GCN prepares training programmes for different groups namely health workers, teachers, old age home managers, care givers, and other interest groups. For further information on GCN, please visit web www.gecenep.com

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Se nior Citizens Council of Delhi (SCCD) Senior Citizens Council of Delhi is recognized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, Social Welfare Department of Delhi Govt., I.C.C.R., Sahitya Kala Parishad and Senior Citizens Cell of Delhi Police. The Council was one of the Co-organizer of World U3A Conference at Chitrakoot held between 8 & 10 Feb 2010.

The President of the Council, Shri J.R. Gupta (67years) is a Non-Official Member of Delhi State Council for Senior Citizens headed by Chief Minister of Delhi and also a member of Coordination Committee responsible for action plan under Delhi State Policy for Senior Citizens. Shri J.R. Gupta was elected Chairperson of “Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of Delhi and NCR” on 30- 12-09. He is also a National Vice Chairperson of Indian Society of U3A.

Meeting of 35 Senior Citizens Associations of Delhi held on 14th May, 2010 in which J.R. Gupta was elected Chairperson, Confederation of Senior Citizens Associations of Delhi.

The Council has been working for the cause of senior citizens since last 32 years in Delhi, India. It has created a network of more than 500 active Senior Citizens living alone who are participating in daily social, cultural and religious activities, yoga, talks, lectures, interaction sessions, panel discussions etc. at Deer Park Senior Citizens Activities Center, near Hauz Khas village, New Delhi between 7:00am to 8:30am. Seniors from different parts of Delhi come to participate in the daily and occasional programs of SCCD. Eminent speakers across the country are invited daily to address the senior Citizens on various subjects. Such a conducive environment keeps them free from loneliness and inspires to live with dignity and respect particularly for the poor, destitute and neglected elderly.

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The Council has created three more Centers for Senior Citizens namely:- Mehrauli (on every Saturday between 9pm to 10pm), DDA Flats Munirka (on every Sunday between 10am to 11am) and Shiv Mandir Green Park (daily 4:30pm to 5:30pm). In all three places, more than 400 Senior Citizens are interacting with each other throughout the year. The Council organizes free Health Check-up Camps from time to time in association with Help Age India. The Council also organizes seminars where good numbers of Senior Citizens from the Ministry, N.I.S.D. and various NGOs interested on issues of elderly citizens participate.

The Council extends medical help in emergency cases to lonely and needy Senior Citizens by taking them to hospitals for their check ups. The security of the lonely Senior Citizens is also monitored with the help of volunteers and neighbors around the clock in respective Colonies. Lonely Senior Citizens are also protected from humiliations/abuses from their own children with the help of eminent personalities of the area and Delhi police. Other regular activities of the Council include: • helping Senior Citizens below poverty line to get them old age pension of Rs.1,000.00 per month from Delhi Govt. • printing telephone directory every year indicating name, address and telephone numbers of the members of the Council to enable them to interact each other round the clock. • distributing free blankets to the needy persons every year on the occasion of Makar Sakranti. • felicitating students who score more than 90% marks in class 10th and 12th in Central Board of Secondary Education examination every year • distributing stationary and books to poor students of MCD Primary Schools each year on the occasion of annual day. • creating awareness among senior citizens of Delhi-NCR about the facilities and benefits being made available under policies of Delhi Govt. and the Govt. of India. • building pressure on Govt. of Delhi to dispose off cases of Senior Citizens in any Govt. Department by marking on files ”Senior Citizens” in a time bound manner.

Photo showing audience daily participating in the social, cultural and Spiritual activities organized by Senior Citizens Council of Delhi.

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 11 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Each and every Senior Citizen is welcome to participate in all activities of the Council. The Council also offers membership to other citizens.

The Council signed a MOU in 2006 with Senior Citizens Council of Mauritius headed by Mrs. S. Bapoo, Honorable Minister, Social Security, Govt. of Mauritius for the exchange of views of groups of elderly of both the Countries.

Similarly, the council signed a MOU with Geriatric Center Nepal on 18 th May 2010 in the presence of the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Government of Nepal at his office in Singh Durbar, Kathmandu. Later on the day, representatives of both GCN and SCCD were received by The Right Honorable President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav at Rastrapati Bhawan, Kathamndu, Nepal.

SCCD has been in constant touch with the Ambassador of Nepal in Delhi since it started communicating ideas for joint work in Nepal with GCN.

Meeting with Mr. Rana, Nepal Ambassador in India with the delegation members of Senior Citizens Council of Delhi on 19th March, 2010. (L-R R.M. Goel, Hemraj, Mr. Rana, J.R. Gupta, B.D Kalra and L.R. Garg).

The Council is interested to sign MOU with Senior Citizens Associations located in India and abroad, like MOU signed with Govt. of Mauritius and Geriatric Center Nepal. For this purpose, please log on to website of the Council www.seniorcitizensdelhi.org or contact through email id [email protected] or on mobile number 9810488059. For further information on SCCD, please visit the web page http://seniorcitizensdelhi.org/membership.html or write to guptajr2007@gmai

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 12 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com 4. Details on Nepal Tour by SCCD Delegates Geriatric Center Nepal had invited a four member team from Senior Citizens Council of Delhi in order to sign MOU between the two organizations.

President of the Council Shri J.R. Gupta, Shri L.R. Garg, Shri D.P Jindal and Shri Hemaraj visitng GCN Complex

Accordingly, the four member team led by the President of the Council Mr. J.R. Gupta arrived Nepal in the morning of 17 th May 2010 as planned. Other members of the team included. - Mr. D.P. Jindal (65 yrs), Member of SCCD, Coordinator for Noida, Delhi - Mr. Hemraj (66 yrs), Member of SCCD, Coordinator for South Delhi - Mr. LR Garg (67 yrs), Member of SCCD, Coordinator for South-west Delhi Brief introduction of the Team members is given in Annex -1.

The arriving Team from Delhi was received in VIP lounge at International Tribhuwan Airport by the Founder Chairperson of GCN Mr. Krishna M. Gautam, Vice-Chairperson Mr. Rohit Tha, Chief Executive Officer Mr. Barata Raj Poudel and Volunteer Mr. Kushal Gautam. The team visited GCN where a special Vedic Agni pooja and hawan was organized in honor of the guests from SCCD, Delhi. Vedic mantras were chanted by Batuks on the occasion.

Guests and GCN members at Pooja (worship) in a temple within GCN compound

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 13 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com The guests were then taken to hotel Yak & Yeti located in central Kathmandu, for their lunch and sojourn. A meeting was held at 4pm to finalize the program for rest of the visiting period. Thus finalized plan is given below.

Day/Date Activities 17 th May 2010 - Arrival at the airport Monday - Observation of GCN facilities - Special Vedic Pooja at GCN Temple - Arrival in hotel, lunch and rest - Group meeting between GCN members and the Council Members at Hotel Yak & Yeti - Free evening 18 th May - Special Pooja at Pashupati Nath Temple Tuesday - Lunch Break - Brief discussion with senior government officers at the ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare. - Signing of MOU at Office of the Minister for Women, Children ands Social Welfare, Honorable Mr. Sarwadev Prasad Ojha in presence of other senior government officers. - Presentation of souvenir from The President of the Council Shri J.R. Gupta to the Minister. - Reception by The President of Nepal at Rastrapati Bhawan (Briefing of the subject and introduction of guests for the President, Key note Address by The Right Honorable President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav followed by photo session with the President) - Later on the day, the delegation members of Senior Citizens Council of Delhi also met Shri Rakesh Sood, Ambassador of India in Nepal and handed over a copy of the MOU signed. - Night stay at Yak & Yeti 19 th May - Travel to by car and one night stay at Lakeside Hotel, Wednesday accompanied by Mr. Bharat Poudel, Chief Executive Officer of GCN 20 th May - Visit to Phewa Lake, Pooja at Tal Barahi Temple and Bindhyawasinin Thursday Temples, Visit to Siddha Cave, Set Gorge, Mahendrapool and road to Kathmandu, Stay in Hotel Yak and Yeti. 21 st May - Site seeing to Patan (Krishna Mandir, Durbar Square, Meeting with Friday Gorakhnath Yogi) - Press conference at GCN - Review discussions and Wrap-up meeting 22 nd May Saturday Fly back to Delhi

MOU signing Ceremony at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare A joint team of SCCD and GCN visited the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare at National Secretariats, Sighdurbar, Kathmandu. Mr. Surya Prasad Shrestha, senior officer of the ministry briefed about the policies and programs pursued by the government for its ageing population. The joint team was then invited to the office of the Minister. After a brief introduction of individuals and short discussion on objectives and limitation of MOU, the MOU was jointly

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 14 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com signed by the heads of GCN and SCCD in presence of the Minister. The Honorable Minister also signed the MOU to record his presence on the occasion. President of the Council Mr. J.R. Gupta presented relevant documents of the Government of India and memento to the minister. The minister congratulated the organizations for their achievements and assured of all possible help from the government of Nepal as and when needed.

President of the Council Mr. J.R Gupta and Chairperson of GCN Mr. K. M. Gautam Signing MOU in the office of the Minister for Women, Children and Social welfare, Honorable Mr. Sarvadev Prasad Ojha, Kathmandu, Nepal.

After signing MOU, the President of the Council Mr. J.R. Gupta presenting copies of National Policy of Older persons 1999 and Delhi Government State Policy 2006 for Senior Citizens of Delhi and a memento to The Honorable Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Mr. Sarwadev Prasad Ojha at his office, Kathmandu. Founder Chairperson of GCN Mr. Krishna M. Gautam and Vice-President Mr. Rohit Thapa (with cap)

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 15 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Objectives and Scope of MOU The objective of the MOU is to strengthen historical, cultural and linguistic links between the members of the two parties through exchange of skills, knowledge and information and issue related to the ageing population through: (i) Devising and arranging various schemes and programmes on ageing. (ii) Conducting training programmes in the field of ageing for various stakeholders including officers working for the welfare of the elderly. (iii) Holding joint workshops, seminars and symposiums for human resource development. (iv) Exchange of groups of elderly by visiting religious and historical places and meeting with dignitaries. (v) Information and experience sharing between the two organizations and mutual use of data base. (vi) Documentation of information in the field of Ageing for wider dissemination. (vii) Promoting cultural and social activities, and (viii) Promoting productive activities among elderly between the two organizations.

The MOU covers joint activities/programmes, which will be set and determined on mutual agreement of both sides. The MOU represents mutual understanding of the parties and is not intended nor shall be deemed to be a binding contract and shall not give rise to any rights and liabilities under a contract. This MOU rests on the understanding that both parties stand at the level of parity. Both signing parties will make the best efforts to ensure, as far as reasonably and lawfully possible, that the implementation of the MOU is fairly and expeditiously carried out. Provisions of MOU come effective from the date of its signing by both parties.

Program at Rastrapati Bhawan After signing the MOU at Minster's Office, the team was received by The President of Nepal, Right Honorable Dr. Ram Bbaran Yadav at the Ratsrapati Bhawan (President's House). The Minster for Women Children and Social Welfare Honorable Mr. Sarwadev Prsada Ojha graced the occasion as the Special Guest on the occasion.

Krishna M. Gautam briefing The Rt. Honorable President on Activities of GCN and objectives of the MOU

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 16 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Mr. Krishna M. Gautam, welcomed the guests and briefly informed The Right Honorable President about the background, objectives and importance of MOU. He also briefly introduced activities GCN. The winners of three awards instituted by GCN were announced on the occasion. • Narayan Prasad Gautam Senior Citizen Service Award: winner Prof. Dr. Leela KC, for the contributions that she has made in institutional development and awareness building for the cause of senior citizens in Nepal. The award comes with cash prize of Rs. 100,000. • Senior Citizen Columnist Award: winner Ms. Kalpana Ghimire, reporter of Kantipur daily, for the maximum number of reports that she published this year on different issue of citizens in Nepal. • Senior Citizen Media Award: winner The Times publication house for the maximum space that it provided for news and views on issues of elderly in its publications during this year. The winners of these annual awards will be felicitated on the Second Anniversary Day of GCN establishment, i.e., 6 th July 2010. These are the first awards instituted in Nepal to honor organizations and individuals making significant contribution for the betterment of ageing population.

President of the Council Shri J.R. Gupta presented memento to the President of Nepal and briefly highlighted the main activities of the Council. Addressing the gathering of eminent personalities present on the occasion, The Right Honorable President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav highlighted the common characteristics of people of Nepal and India. He thanked the Council and GCN for their initiatives and urged all present to get involved in activities for the cause of elderly of both the countries. He was also appreciative of the idea of expanding such collaborative approach to cover other member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

President of the Council Shri J.R. Gupta briefing The Right Honorable President of Nepal, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav about activities of the Council

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President of the Council Shri J.R. Gupta presenting memento to The Right Honorable President of Nepal Dr. Ram Baran Yadav at Rastrapati Bhawan, Kathmandu (18 th May 2010)

Meet the Press A press conference was organized at GCN on 21 st May. Presentations by Mr. Gautam from GCN and Mr. Gupta from the Council were followed by a lively discussion with journalists. Following is the list of journalists present on the occasion.

S.No. Name of Representative Reporter Name of the mass media Language 1. Sarita karki Kathmandu Post English Daily 2. Arpana Adhakari Rising Nepal English Daily 3. Jib-Ram Bhandari Senior Journalist/columnist English 4. Dilli Ram Nirvic Senior Journalist/columnist Nepali 5. Ball Kumar Nepal Aanapurna post Nepali Daily 6. Deepak Pandey Drishti Nepali Weekly 7. Gobinda Pokharel Senior Journalist/columnist Nepali 8. Raju Acharay GorkhaPatra National Daily

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 18 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Glimpses of the Press Conference at GCN on 21 st May 2010 Wrap-up Meeting After the press conference, a close door meeting was held between the visiting team from the Council and Directors of GCN to review the visit and plan for joint activities for future implementation. Minute of the meeting is given in Annex 2.

Wrap-up Meeting of GCN and SCCD members on 21 st May 2010 at GCN library Departure The visiting team left for Delhi on 22 nd May, Saturday morning at 9am. Mr. Gautam and Mr. Bharat Poudel were at the airport to see off the guests. In those brief moments, all expressed great satisfaction over the achievements made during the week and thanked each other for the success.

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 19 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com Important Events at Office of the Honorable Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Mr. Sarwadev Prasad Ojha, Government of Nepal, Kathamandu, 18 th May 2010

Shri J.R. Gupta and Mr. K.M.Gautam Signing MOU. Minister appreciating the initiatives

Minister signing MOU Shri. J.R. Gupta presenting memento to the Minister

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Dr. Gauri Shanker Lal Das, LR Garg, D.P. Jindal, JR Gupta. KM Gautam, Hemraj, Bharat Poudel and Manohar at Rstrapati Bhawan after the reception hosted by the President of Nepal, Right Honorable Dr. Ram Baran Yadav 21 st May 2010

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Annex - 1

Brief Introduction of Visiting Members from Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, India

1. J.R. Gupta (67 yrs), leader of delegation • President of Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, representing 10 lakhs senior citizens all over Delhi. • Chairperson, Confederation of Senior Citizens Associations of Delhi. • Created a network of more than 500 active senior citizens who are living alone from across all over Delhi who are participating in social, cultural and spiritual activities daily for the last 32 yrs. • Mr. Gupta is instrumental in signing a MOU in the year 2006 with the Senior Citizens Council of Mauritius for promoting exchange of views of groups of elderly of both the countries. • Mr. Gupta for the first time had organized an All India Senior Citizens Conference in the month of December, 2008 at New Delhi in which 400 representatives of senior citizens associations from 17 states and 200 members from Delhi participated. • Mr. Gupta was coorganiser of World U3A conference of senior citizens at Chitrakoot in the month of February, 2010 in which 70 foreign delegates from 15 countries ( including Nepal ) participated along with 300 representatives from all over India. • The main objective of the council (headed by Mr. Gupta) is to extend medical help in emergency cases to such lonely and needy senior citizens by taking them to hospitals for their check ups including security with the help of volunteers and neighbors and also with the help of eminent personalities of the area/ Delhi police round the clock. • The Council has been recognized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt of India, Social Welfare Department of Delhi Govt, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Senior Citizens Cell of Delhi police and Bhagi Dari Cell of Delhi Govt.

2. D.P. Jindal (65 yrs) • Mr. Jindal has been retired as Superintending Engineer from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and a live member of Senior Citizens Council of Delhi. • He is a coordinator for various activities of the Council for the Welfare of Senior Citizens residing in Noida (part of National Capital Region of Delhi).

3. Shri Hemraj (66 yrs) • Shri Hemraj is a Retired Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax. • He is a coordinator for the Senior Citizens living in South Delhi Area.

4. L.R. Garg (67 yrs) • Mr. Garg retired as Director in IG Telecom Ltd, Rajasthan in the year 2004. • Mr. Garg is looking after the problems of senior citizens residing in South West district.

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Annex - 2

Minutes of the Meeting held on 21 st May, 2010 (Jestha 7, 2067)

Delegates from Senior Citizens Council of Delhi (SCCD), India and Directors of Geriatric Centre Nepal (GCN) had joint meeting on 21 st May, 2010 at GCN in Kathmandu. Following members were present in the meeting. 1. JR Gupta (67), President of SCCD, Delhi 2. DP Jindal (65 yrs), Member of SCCD, Coordinator for Noida, Delhi 3. Shri Hemraj (66 yrs), Member of SCCD, Coordinator for South Delhi 4. LR Garg (67 yrs), Member of SCCD, Coordinator for South-west Delhi 5. Krishna M. Gautam, Chairperson, GCN 6. Bharat Raj Poudel, Chief Executive Officer, GCN 7. Tej Prasad Giri, Training and Research Program Coordinator, GCN 8. Shova Khanal, Health Program Coordinator, GCN

Background Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, India and Geriatric Centre Nepal has signed a MOU on 18 May, 2010 in the presence of Honorable Mr. Sarvdev Prasad Ojha, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Government of Nepal, for promoting exchange of groups of elderly and to organize joint research, training, workshop and study tour program etc for the elderly of both the countries. The delegation members of the Council along with members of GCN also called on Right Honorable Dr. Rambaran Yadav, Right Honorable President of Nepal at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kathmandu who also appreciated the initiatives of the both the organizations. Later on, the delegation members of the Council also called on Shri Rakesh Sood, Ambassador of India in Nepal and handed over a copy of the MOU duly signed.

On behalf of Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, MOU was signed by its President Shri J.R. Gupta and from Nepal side, Mr. K.M. Gautam, Chairperson of GCN signed. It is relevant to mention here that Senior Citizens Council of Delhi has already signed MOU with Senior Citizens Council of Mauritius under the direct administrative control of Ministry of Social and Security, Government of Mauritius in the year 2006 on the same lines.

Agenda for the meeting 1. Review of activities completed during the visit by SCCD members (17 th to 22 nd May 2010). 2. Identification of future activities for joint implementation.

Following decisions were taken in consensus of all present. 1 GCN will write a letter to the embassy of India in Kathmandu informing His Excellency the Ambassador about MOU. 2 SCCD will write a letter to the embassy of Nepal in Delhi informing His Excellency the Ambassador about MOU. 3 GCN will develop a proposal for organizing an "Indo-Nepal Workshop on Issues of Elderly" in Kathmandu and submit the proposal to the Embassy of India, Kathmandu, with application for funding support.

Geriatric Center Nepal, June 2010 Page 23 of 25 PDF Created with deskPDF PDF Writer - Trial :: http://www.docudesk.com 4 SCCD will arrange for free treatment in Hospitals in Delhi for senior citizens of Nepal on the recommendation of GCN. GCN would recommend its members for such facility based on: a) a referral by qualified medical doctor of the government health institution stating that the health problem could be treated better in Delhi hospitals; b) the patient is judged to be not able to meet the treatment cost on his/her own. 5 Efforts shall be made by both GCN and SCCD to arrange a cultural exchange program within 2010. 6 SCCD will take initiative towards signing similar MOU with the appropriate organization of Bhutan. In the long run, both GCN and SCCD will make efforts towards signing similar MOU with appropriate organization of all member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). 7 SCCD already signed MOU with suitable organization of Mauritius in 2006. SCCD will assist GCN to sign bilateral MOU with the same organization of Mauritius.

Krishna M. Gautam Founder Chairperson Geriatric Center Nepal

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References

AB Daey (2006). Editorial, Jornal of the Indian Academy of Geriatrics, Vol2, No.4.

Geriatric Central Nepal (2010). Status Report on Elderly People (60+) in Nepal on Health, Nutrition and Social Status Focusing on Research Need. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Government of India ((2001). Population Census of India. Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs

Matt Rosenberg (2009), India's Population, About.com guide

Patel V & Prince M (May 2006). An Ageing Population, Central Chronicle, India. Global Action on Ageing.

United Nations (Dec. 2009). World Population Ageing 2009. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, New York.

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