The Department of Social Work, School of Social Sciences and International Studies, Pondicherry University, in collaboration with the National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, Delhi organized a Two-Day National Seminar on “Intergenerational Bonding and Ageing in Place: Pathways to Understand Geriatric Mental Health”. The event was held at the Convention Cum Cultural Centre Auditorium, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry.

Ageing is an inevitable process accompanied by significant physical, mental, and social changes. While physical health issues in older adults often received attention, their mental health challenges remained largely under-addressed. This National seminar provided a platform to discuss the Psychological well-being of the elderly, highlighted their vulnerabilities, and explored the critical role of inter-generational relationships in promoting healthy ageing.

The inaugural session began with a Welcome Address delivered by Prof. P.B. Shankar Narayan, Head, Department of Social Work, Pondicherry University who highlighted the significance of the Seminar. This was followed by an overview of the objectives of seminar and the rationale behind by Prof. A. Shahin Sultana, Seminar Convener, Department of Social Work, Pondicherry University.

Dignitaries were formally honored, after which the Inaugural Address was delivered by Prof. P. Prakash Babu, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, who emphasized the importance of addressing mental health needs of the elderly through academic engagement and policy discourse and appreciated the Seminar Convener and the dept. of Social Work for organizing this conference.

The session continued with Felicitation Addresses by esteemed dignitaries. Dr. K.R. Gangadharan, Director of the Heritage Foundation, Hyderabad, shared insights from his policy advocacy work in geriatric care and the growing relevance in this regard. Prof. Thirumoorthy. A, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, reflected on the psychosocial dimensions of elderly care. Prof. P.T. Sivakumar, Head of the Geriatric Unit, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, highlighted key clinical perspectives in geriatric mental health and the role of NGOs and Academic Institutions. Dr. Zunatha Banu. A, Social Scientist, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, JIPMER, Pondicherry, brought attention to ongoing research and community-level observations regarding elderly well-being. This was followed by thanks where the Pondicherry University administration and support sections, NISD, the Dept. of Social Work and Participants were all thanked and appreciated.

This was followed by five sessions over the two days focusing on 1) Ageing: Nature, Process, Challenges of ageing; 2) Ageing issues in India: Policies and Practices; 3) Ageing among Indigenous Population 4) Women and Ageing: Issues and Vulnerabilities and 5) Intergenerational Bonding. The Seminar had eminent Chairpersons and Invited Speakers who reflected upon the various aspects of the sub themes of the National Seminar. Every session was followed with Queries, Comments, Observations and Suggestions from the participants which made the sessions lively and engaging.

The Two Day National Seminar concluded with the Valedictory Programme, Prof. P B. Shankar Narayan welcomed the gathering and provided insights of the programme. Prof. A. Shahin Sultana, Seminar Convenrr presented a comprehensive report about the two days programme and the key takeaways of the seminar. This was followed by the feedback from the participants who spoke out the learning from the seminar and how they plan to execute in their field work practice in the coming years. They were appreciating the fact that Geriatric Mental Health is undermined in the general discourse of the elderly population and this remained the focus of the Seminar.

This was followed by the Valedictory Address by Prof. Clement Sagayadja Lourdes, Director of Culture and Cultural Relations who touched upon the facts from the literary world and connected to the contemporary problems of elderly and their vulnerabilities.  Prof. Rajneesh Bhutani, Registrar (i/c), mentioned the significance of the theme and how it added value to the contemporary discourses with regard to the elderly population. Certificates were distributed by the dignitaries to all the participants. Vote of thanks followed wherein there was appreciation for the University officials, NISD, Invited Speakers, Participants, Volunteers, Organizing Committee Members and to the Dept. of Social Work for organizing a timely and a relevant programme.

The National Seminar had representatives from Government and NGO functionaries, Academicians, Researchers, Policy Makers, Subject Experts and Professionals from India. Around 175 participants attended the programme from various parts of the country.

Through this initiative, the organizers aimed to deepen the understanding of mental health concerns among the elderly, encouraged the building of an elderly-inclusive society, and emphasized the importance of community engagement in supporting geriatric mental health. The discussions paved the way for evidence-based interventions and contributed to shaping policy recommendations for the well-being of senior citizens.

This programme was financially supported by the National Institute of Social Defense, reaffirming the commitment of both institutions to addressing the mental health needs of the ageing population through collaborative dialogue and action.

***

SV/KPG/RJ

(Release ID: 2121677) Visitor Counter : 38