The certification will cover institutions ranging from village and taluk offices to hospitals, banks and transport counters. Inspections will be carried out against common standards and Gold, Silver or Bronze status will be awarded.
Periodic revisions
Certificates must be renewed periodically, and offices will also face unannounced spot checks.Keralam has one of India’s highest proportions of senior citizens, a share that is projected to grow over the next two decades.
While the newly formed department has rolled out several schemes for the elderly, there has so far been no clear system to address the difficulties faced by them at government offices such as long queues, stairs without handrails, forms printed in small fonts. EFOC is meant to close that gap.
How it works
Offices will be scored across five domains: building accessibility (30%), service delivery (25%), staff training and conduct (20%), communication (15%) and participation (10%).Four criteria are mandatory regardless of overall score — step-free entry, a ground-floor toilet, a priority queue for senior citizens, and staff specifically assigned to assist them.
An office missing any of these will not be certified.
A score of 85% or above, with no domain below 60%, earns a five-year Gold certificate. A score of 70–84% earns Silver, also valid for five years. A score of 60–69% earns a provisional two-year Bronze, confirmed only after re-inspection.
Akin to global models
About 10% of certified offices will be inspected without notice each year. Independent, empanelled third-party agencies with no ties to the offices they assess will conduct site visits and scoring.A nodal cell under the department will manage the registry, while a State-level Steering Committee will approve standards and decide on Gold awards.
EFOC draws on the Sharjah model in the UAE, the WHO’s Age-Friendly Cities network, and the U.S. Certified Age-Friendly Employer programme. Technical standards for ramps, signage and toilets follow the 2021 national guidelines under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act — the first time these have been consolidated for a scheme of this kind in India.
Rollout
Phase one covers finalising criteria, issuing the government order, and empanelling agencies. A pilot will follow within six months, covering one office per district.In the second year, the scheme will be extended Statewide to include village, taluk and collectorate offices, Treasuries, RTOs and government hospitals and in the third year, other offices will be included.
Private hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies can join voluntarily on a paid basis. Certified offices receive a plaque and a QR-coded digital certificate and are listed on a public registry. Gold-rated offices get priority under the Silver Economy programme.
The pilot phase is expected to begin within this financial year, once agency empanelment is complete.