Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government has set up the country's first Senior Citizens Commission to protect the rights of the elderly and address issues such as "neglect and abuse."

K Somaprasad has been appointed chairperson of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission, state Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice R Bindu said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Amaravila Ramakrishnan, E M Radha, K N K Namboothiri, and Lopes Mathew have been appointed as members of the Commission, she added.

The Commission will address growing concerns about the "hardships faced by the elderly, including neglect, exploitation, and orphanhood," the minister said.

The Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission has been constituted under the Kerala Senior Citizens Commission Act, 2025, passed by the state legislature in March.

The Commission will work for the welfare and protection of the elderly and provide guidelines and assistance for their rehabilitation, the minister added.

The members were felicitated by the minister at a ceremony held at the Secretariat Durbar Hall on Wednesday.