The Kerala State Elderly Commission: preventive governance and the protection of older persons in India.

Population aging is transforming the institutional requirements of elder protection in India. Kerala's establishment of the Kerala State Elderly Commission under the Kerala State Elderly Commission Act, 2025, creates a specialized statutory mechanism for protecting the welfare, rights, and dignity of older persons. This article examines the Commission as an emerging instrument of preventive governance, focusing on its capacities for inquiry, inspection, coordination, legal-aid facilitation, policy guidance, and institutional oversight. Preventive governance is conceptualized through three dimensions: prevention before harm, early intervention when risks emerge, and prevention of recurrence following abuse or neglect. Drawing on statutory provisions, official government materials, and elder-abuse scholarship, the article examines mechanisms of reporting, inquiry, referral, intervention, follow-up, and institutional learning. It also considers challenges involving professional capacity, financing, accessibility, coordination, and implementation. The article argues that Kerala represents a significant institutional experiment whose effectiveness requires systematic empirical evaluation.