Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar Khatik Launches Vriddha Mitra Toolkit and 2nd Edition of Shrinkhala Talk Series.

In September 2025, Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar Khatik, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), recently launched two flagship initiatives of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) – the ‘Vriddha Mitra Toolkit’ under the SAHAJ program and the 2nd edition of the Shrinkhala Talk Series – at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, to strengthen community-based elder care.

      - The Vriddha Mitra Toolkit, a flagship program of the Society of Community Health Oriented Operational Links (SCHOOL), supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing – and serves as a comprehensive resource for community-based elder-care.

      - It is designed as a user-friendly tool to assist senior citizens, government officials, and social sector representatives in implementing effective community elder-care initiatives.

      - The toolkit bridges policy and practice, fostering grassroots action and stakeholder collaboration to ensure senior citizens’ well-being is prioritized in community programs.

Main Point :-   (i) The Supportive Action for Healthy Aging in the Community (SAHAJ), launched by MSJE in 2024, promotes active participation of senior citizens and enhances their overall health and well-being.

      (ii) Launched in 2024 with the theme “Ageing with Dignity,” the Shrinkhala Talk Series provides a platform for policymakers, citizens, and thought leaders to discuss challenges faced by senior citizens and share innovative elder-care models.

(iii) The 2025 edition, themed ‘(HUM) – Anubhav aur Ustaah ka Sangam,’ focused on real-life stories and community models of senior citizens, promoting actionable solutions and collective responsibility in elder-care.
About Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE)