Encourage students to spend time with elderly

Our grandson, who shifted to the US a few months ago with his parents who are IT professionals, has chosen to undertake voluntary service in a senior citizens’s home every Sunday, duly deputed by the school authorities. Voluntary service is an integral part of academic performance in the West. Though facilities are available, senior home inmates crave company, someone asking about their welfare, interacting and playing with them, selflessly. Shouldn’t a country like India, with its rich culture, encourage such voluntary service by schoolchildren? We could consider linking it to weightage? And, do we have enough homes for seniors? Points to ponder.

Ramesh Aggarwal

Chandigarh