Vayo Samman Rashtriya Abhiyan Launched for Senior Citizens

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar launched the Vayo Samman Rashtriya Abhiyan in the national capital on 4 November 2026. It is a national intergenerational bonding campaign run under the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), and its purpose is to build solidarity between generations and to make society value the experience and contribution of senior citizens. The Minister called the campaign an Anubhav aur Urja ka Sangam, a meeting of the experience of the old and the energy of the young.

The 5C model and twelve themes

The campaign rests on a 5C model, namely Connect, Converse, Co-create, Contribute and Continue, which is meant to keep engagement between generations going as a regular community practice rather than a one-day event. Twelve thematic areas sit under it, among them 30 Minutes Together, Teach Me and I will Teach You, My Story My India, Digital Dada-Dadi or Digital Saathi, Generation Health and Wellness, and Silver Skills with seniors as mentors. Taken together the themes aim at companionship, the recording of oral histories, digital literacy, awareness of cyber fraud, better health, and recognition of older people as mentors who hold knowledge worth passing on.

Vayo SAATHI volunteers

A second component launched on the same day is Vayo SAATHI, a digitally enabled volunteer initiative whose name stands for Support, Awareness, Assistance, Training, Health and Inclusion. Any citizen aged 18 years and above may join, including students, young professionals and institutions. Volunteers are to act as friends, facilitators and connectors for older people. Registration is through the SCW SAMAVESH Portal or the JEEVAN App, and a volunteer receives a Vayo SAATHI Certificate. The Minister also released a Handbook that sets out the objectives, the implementation strategy, the thematic activities and the roles of States, districts and community institutions.

Why the campaign was framed

Dr Kumar said the population aged 60 years and above in India is projected to rise from about 10 crore in 2011 to 23 crore by 2036. Urbanisation, migration and changing family structures, he noted, have cut down regular contact between generations, leaving older people lonely, unaware of welfare schemes meant for them and exposed to cyber fraud. He said the youth will connect elders to the digital world while elders give the youth the values of life. On the eve of Deepawali he appealed that no elderly person at home or in the neighbourhood be left alone, and that a lamp be lit in their honour.

Two agreements signed

Two Memoranda of Understanding were signed and exchanged with voluntary organisations, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) and the Adhyatma Vigyan Satsang Kendra (AVSK) of Jodhpur, for meditation, yoga and wellness programmes and for activities such as pledge drives and walkathons. Secretary of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Sudhansh Pant, said the initiative treats senior citizens not as mere beneficiaries but as active contributors and mentors, and urged States and districts to follow the Handbook. The Minister administered the Vayo Samman Pledge to everyone present.