our team
Dr. P K B Nayar
(Founder, CGS)
“A pioneer who put Gerontology on the Indian academic and professional map, Prof. P.K.B. Nayar is part of the select group of Indian Sociologists who have broadened the terrain of sociology beyond the borders of conventional study and research. He has contributed significantly to areas like Women’s Studies, Population Studies, Health Sciences, Management, and importantly to Gerontology.” – The Indian Sociological Society in its Lifetime Achievement Award Citation on Dr. P.K.B. Nayar
Dr. Nayar founded the Centre for Gerontological Studies (CGS) in 1983, drawing inspiration from the UN World Assembly on Aging in Vienna (1982) which he attended while working as a Visiting Professor at the University of Paris.
Prof. (Dr.) P.K.B. Nayar had been the Founder and Head of the Department of Sociology of the University of Kerala for 21 years. Earlier he was Head of the Dept. of Sociology in Dibrugarh University, Assam. He had been Visiting Professor at US and French Universities. He had also served as Management Consultant at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), New Delhi, and as short-term consultant to UN FAO, ILO, WHO and World Bank. Dr. Nayar has also been the founder of the Kerala Sociological Society and Indian Association of Social Sciences and Health.
After retirement from the University of Kerala in 1989, he devoted himself fully to the work of CGS. In CGS he organized several conferences – national and international – and numerous research studies. These programmes were sponsored and funded by the Govt. of India, Govt. of Kerala, ICSSR and ICMR. Some of the studies were sponsored by world organizations, such as International Labour Organisation, International Social Security Association and Sandoz Foundation for Gerontological Research, Switzerland.
The glorious activities of CGS were recognized by the Government of India which conferred on CGS the Vayoshreshtha Samman, the highest award in aging, in 2009. The citation for the award says that CGS is “a unique international centre for interdisciplinary studies and research on aging”. Prof. Nayar himself got the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Govt. of India in 2014 for contribution to aging. One of the favorite projects of CGS, master-minded by Dr. Nayar, has been the Age-Friendly Grama Panchayat Project which has been implemented in 7 Grama Panchayats in two districts of Kerala. CGS has plans to extend the programme to the entire State to make Kerala completely age friendly.
Dr. Sobha b nair
(CHAIRperson, CGS)
Dr. Sobha B. Nair got her Ph.D. degree in Sociology from the University of Kerala on the topic “Social Security and the Weaker Sections: A Study on Old Women Agricultural Workers in Kerala”. She worked as Research Officer in the Centre for Women’s Studies of the University of Kerala for over 13 years. She joined the Sociology Department of the University as a teacher in 2004 and retired from service on April 2019 as Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Work in the University of Kerala.
Sobha B. Nair has participated in the Global Leadership Training Programme organized by Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood and Research, Shanghai, China. She was Post-Doctoral Fellow and Resource Person in the Fulbright International Education Cooperation Programme of Claremont University, California wherein she made a much appreciated study on “Undocumented Women Migrants in California”. Among other studies, she has undertaken and completed an Action Research Project on The Problems and Needs of Coastal People in Perumathura, Thiruvananthapuram, funded by UGC Special Assistance Programme. She has also undertaken and completed another action research project on Sustainable livelihood practices of Fishermen community in Kerala”
Sobha B. Nair assisted the Kerala State Resource Centre in planning and organising a study on “Adding Life to the Grey Years through Lifelong Learning”. She was the Co-ordinator of PG Certificate Course in Geriatric Care and Management, offered by the University of Kerala. She has published two books Social Security and the Weaker Sections: A Study of Old Agricultural Workers in Kerala” and “Senior Citizens of Kerala: Perceptions and Utilization of Health care Facilities”. She has also authored chapters in 8 edited books besides publishing over 35 articles in reputed peer reviewed journals. She has presented invited papers in several international and national conferences. She was Member of Board of Studies and Examinations in several universities. She is also Life Member of many reputed professional associations including the Indian Sociological Society.
Dr. P. Prathapan
(Director, CGS)
Dr.P.PRATHAPAN is a Trainer, Author, Lawyer and Consultant. He is having experience in working in different capacities like, Additional Director, Joint Director, Assistant Director under the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Kerala. He worked as Lecturer on deputation for 3 years at the Regional Institute of Correctional Administration, Vellore, Tamilnadu. He is a post graduate in Sociology, Department of Sociology, Karyavattom; and a Law graduate, Law Academy Law College, University of Kerala. He was awarded a Doctoral degree by the Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed University), Dindugal. He was associated with the Vayosauhrutha Panchayath scheme, in five Panchayats, in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad implemented by the Centre for Gerontological Studiers.
He was involved in Planning, Execution, Monitoring and Evaluation of Social welfare schemes related to Children women and aged. He took up the Government service with dedication and service mindedness.
As a Child Development Project Officer and District Probation Officer in different districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Thrissur, Wayanad and Kasaragod. As a Chief Executive Officer of the Kerala Anganwady Workers and Helpers Welfare Fund Board, and considering his legal background, he was entrusted for devising a pension scheme for the Anganwady workers and Helpers and drafted the Bill for the same. Consequently, the pension for Anganwady workers and Helpers was introduced in Kerala, for the first time in India.
As the Assistant Director during the period 2003-07 he had prepared project proposals for constructing spacious and barrier free Oldage Home Buildings for accommodating 125 inmates each in the districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhicode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. Till then, the oldage homes were functioning in congested rented buildings, in those districts.
He had authored and published ten books; and, one of them in Malayalam, titled as ‘Vayojana Neethi’, was published during 2016.
Members of Executive Committee
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Dr. Sobha B Nair (Chairperson),
Phone: 9567225551; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. P. Prathapan (Director),
Phone: 9446176426; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. P K B Nayar (Member),
Phone: 9037668530; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. V. Raman Kutty (Member),
Phone: 9847060199; Email: [email protected]
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Dr. T. Sundaresan Nair (Member),
Phone: 9447155787; Email: [email protected]
Members of Governing body
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Dr. P K B Nayar
RG 290, Temple Road, Kochulloor, Trivandrum 695011,
Kerala, India
Phone: 9037668530; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. Sobha B Nair
Professor and Head (Retd.), Dept. of Sociology, University of Kerala, Karyavattom, Trivandrum 695581,
Kerala, India
Phone: 9567225551; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. R. Santha Kumari
Aiswarya, Sreerangam Lane, Kaithamukku,
Trivandrum 695024, Kerala, India
Phone: 04712470599; -
Adv. Gracy K Mathew
Advocate and Notary, Vanchiyoor, Trivandrum 695035
Kerala, India
Phone: 9446583681;
Email: [email protected] -
Dr. L. Thara Bhai
2A, GIE Classic, Uppalam Road, (JR 92), GPO,
Trivandrum 695001, Kerala, India
Phone: 9496174262; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. Thomas Mathew
Principal, Government Medical College,
Trivandrum 695011, Kerala, India
Phone: 9447144230;
Email: [email protected]
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Dr. P. Prathapan
Addl. Director (Retd.), Neduvom Veed, Ponganadu P.O., Trivandrum 695601, Kerala, India
Phone: 9446176426; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. T. Sundaresan Nair
Professor, State Resource Centre, Nandavanam,
Trivandrum 695034, Kerala, India
Phone: 9447155787; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. Siva Raju
Professor and Deputy Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai 400088, India
Phone: 09320955832; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. V. Raman Kutty
Professor Emeritus, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sri Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, MCPO. , Trivandrum 695011, Kerala, India
Phone: 0471 2524240; Email: [email protected] -
Dr. Reghu Rama Das J.R.
Joint Director, Mithra Nikethan,
Vellanadu P. O. , Trivandrum 695543,
Kerala, India
Phone: 9446701529;
Email: [email protected]
