About Indrani
Indrani Chakravarty designed the first institute in India with the osmosis of research on and practical work and care for the elderly in Kolkata. The project not only provides necessary services to the elderly in Kolkata, but it draws necessary attention to the plight of the 104 million elderly in all of India.
In 1982, when Indrani first visited Japan as part of her Ph. D. research on retired people, she saw something she had never seen in her own country – clubs, restaurants and libraries existing exclusively for the aged. She saw an entire network of geriatric units, including the enormous Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology; she saw nutritional support, recreational, psychological and counselling services designed strictly for people over 60. Having studied issues surrounding Gerontology in India for over three years, she wondered if perhaps India might need similar programs. Her answer was not only affirmative, but her subsequent work would be as well.
Her institute, The Calcutta Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (CMIG), which she founded in 1988, is now recognized as the Regional Resource & Training Centre on Ageing under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. It currently serves as a base for her myriad of smaller ideas – all designed to provide a meaningful life for people over 60. These ideas include a mobile medical care unit, mobile medical centre for slum areas, recreational programs, a library for the aged, an adult literacy program, a lobbying drive for special seats for the elderly on Calcutta’s buses, a computer training program, geriatric counselling as well as the first journal in India, titled “Ageing & Society”, which covers research papers specifically concerning people over sixty.
CMIG is now functioning as “Regional Resource and Training Centre on Ageing” approved by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
Indrani Chakravarty is the member of :
– the Expert Committee, University Grants Commission for designing Academic Modules for Gerontology, Geriatrics and Kinesiology
– the expert committee of the National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW) for Strengthening National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly
She is also the Editor of “Ageing & Society” – The Indian Journal of Gerontology.
Indrani's Fellowships & Research Works
Fellowships
- Research Fellow of Indian Statistical Institute, 1979-86
- Visiting Research Fellow at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan, 1982
- Postdoctoral Fellow at Netaji Institute of Asian Studies, 1988-90
- Ashoka Fellow, 1991
- Fellow of the Session 400 at Salzburg Seminar, Austria: “Trends and Innovations in Health Professions Education: Building Comprehensive and Sustainable Reforms”, July, 2002
Research Works / Recipient of Research Grants
- Recipient of ICSSR Research Grant on the theme “Dynamics of Elder Care in Urban & Rural Milieu” (2011-13)
- Recipient of ICSSR-ESRC Research Grant on the theme “Ageing Well in Urban Environments: Developing Age Friendly Cities and Communities” in January 2020
- Recipient of ICSSR-ESRC Research Grant on the theme Place-Age: “Place-making with Older Adults: Towards Age-Friendly Communities”, in 2019-21
- Recipient of Global Challenges Research Fund, UK Research Grant on Online Trans National Research entitled “Supporting Social Connectedness for Older People during the Pandemic – What Role Technology Can Play ?” in 2021-22
Indrani's Awards / Honours
In the News
Indrani's Lectures & Interviews
Dr. Indrani Chakravarty was invited to chair in the International & National seminars:
Watch Dr. Indrani Chakravarty’s interviews on YouTube.