On a Friday evening at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), long after most college campuses begin to empty out, a different kind of classroom slowly fills up. A retired Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientist walks in carrying handwritten notes. Beside him sits a former schoolteacher from Hyderabad. A homemaker in her 60s quietly adjusts her spectacles before opening a notebook. Someone else has rushed in after finishing caregiving duties at home.There are no discussions about second life placements or corporate careers. Instead, the lesson begins with a question: How to manage the process of growing old, specially when one is alone? A faculty member projects an image of the human brain and begins explaining dementia and cognitive decline. The discussion quickly moves beyond medicine. Students speak about parents forgetting names, elderly relatives repeating stories or withdrawing after their children migrate abroad. One student recalls watching his father age rapidly after his mother died. Another talks about the silent exhaustion of caregiving. In another session, soft music fills the room as students participate in dance movement therapy and art exercises later explained as methods used to stimulate memory and emotional expression among older adults. Many laugh awkwardly at first. Weeks later, the same group would stage a street play on ageing and loneliness.These are among the experiences shaping students enrolled in TISS’ one-year diploma in Gerontology, a part-time programme where elderly Indians are learning not only about ageing, but also about survival, companionship and purpose in later life. “India is witnessing a major demographic shift with people aged 60 and above projected to form nearly 20 per cent of the population by 2050. Loneliness, caregiving stress, emotional neglect, social isolation and the need for dignified ageing are emerging as critical concerns,” said Dr Saigita Chitturu, assistant professor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning and faculty coordinator for the programme, which was launched in 2008. Open to candidates above 25 years of age, it combines classroom teaching with field-based experiential learning focused on the biological, psychological, social and economic dimensions of ageing. Over the last couple of years, it has opened to the elderly, helping them help themselves. The programme currently admits around 30 students each year. Classes are held on Friday evenings and Saturdays over two semesters, with course fees of around Rs 63,000.Learning to TeachingAt 67, when most people are expected to settle into retirement, Prakash Apte walked into the classroom to study ageing. “For years, I have seen older people around me struggling with loneliness and neglect. I wanted to understand what ageing really means and how society can respond to it,” said Apte, a student from the 2021-22 batch of TISS’ Diploma in Gerontology programme. A yoga teacher, he said the course gave him a structured understanding of the challenges faced by senior citizens, from loneliness and declining health to the absence of support systems. “India’s elderly population is rising rapidly but support for them is still extremely limited. Most policies remain on paper,” he said. He now conducts awareness sessions for senior citizen groups, combining gerontology lessons with yoga practices suited for older adults. He also hopes to launch a social enterprise focused on helping elderly people living alone.Students are allowed to ask the most uncomfortable of questions, from retirement planning and elder abuse to grief, emotional neglect and the fear of dependency — Who will care for you in old age? What happens when children move away? How does one emotionally prepare for ageing?For 76-year-old Arun Rahulkar, a retired senior scientific officer from BARC, the course became a way to rebuild purpose after retirement. “Retirement creates a vacuum. Your children grow up and move away, and suddenly you are left wondering what your purpose is. This course taught me how to age with dignity and meaning,” he said. After completing the diploma, Rahulkar enrolled in a three-year light music course. He now spends time travelling, practising music and conducting awareness sessions for senior citizens. “People think retirement means sitting idle. But if you remain engaged and socially connected, ageing becomes easier,” he said.For Milind Patil, 59, who works in the oil and gas sector, the course helped him process years of caregiving stress after caring for ageing parents. His mother died in 2020, while his 95-year-old father continues to live with him. “I have seen ageing very closely inside my own house,” said Patil, a student from the 2024-25 batch. He is now constructing a senior citizens’ home in rural Amravati. “Migration has left many elderly people in villages and small towns ageing alone,” he said.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Why lifestyle choices affect how our bodies age and deterioratePractical life lessonsThe learning often extends beyond the classroom. Students visit old age homes, NGOs, hospitals and low-income settlements, including Dharavi, where they spend time listening to elderly residents speak about abandonment, illness and isolation. One student recalls interviewing an elderly woman while her son repeatedly shouted at her in front of them. Another remembers bedridden seniors who simply wanted someone to sit beside them without rushing away.The course introduced students to concepts such as neuroplasticity, cognitive stimulation and dementia care, while field visits exposed them to the realities faced by economically weaker elderly populations.Patil said modules involving art therapy, music therapy and street theatre also helped students overcome social hesitation and reconnect emotionally with themselves. “At 59, I had never performed before an audience. I have gained confidence and empathy,” he said.For many women, the classroom became a space for rediscovering identity after decades spent caring for others. Ela Thakur joined the programme in 2012 at the age of 60 after years as a homemaker. “I had lost my sister and was emotionally broken. Initially, I felt intimidated because many students were professionals or doctors. I was just a housewife. Then I started developing my own views and expressing myself. Today I write regularly and participate in discussions. I realised older people too need identity and self-worth,” she said.Story continues below this adDr Anita M Kumar, a former radio producer who spent years caring for her elder sister with polio, described the programme as a refuge after emotional burnout. Now she conducts virtual support sessions while her weekly programme, Dil Se Dil Tak, is a space where senior citizens openly discuss loneliness, grief and emotional struggles. “People literally cry during these sessions because many have nobody to talk to. Sometimes what elderly people need most is for someone to sit beside them, maintain eye contact and simply listen,” she said. Her field visits reinforced how widespread loneliness among elderly Indians has become. “Children are not always intentionally neglectful. Modern life is demanding. But the result is that many elderly people spend entire days without meaningful human interaction,” she said.Education for Self-relianceDr Prasun Chatterjee, Group Clinical Lead, Geriatric Medicine and Longevity Science at Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, said educating people about ageing, including its medical, social, physical and familial aspects, can help them prepare better for later life. “Ageing in India has largely happened by chance, not by preparation. Courses on ageing science help older adults understand their own health, remain mentally engaged and also support others in their peer group who may be struggling,” he said.Emphasising the need for meaningful engagement post-60, he feels gerontology, which focusses on the social aspects of ageing, should be promoted as the country’s elderly population continues to grow. “Every family will eventually deal with ageing. Basic understanding of elderly care and ageing should not be limited only to senior citizens, but extended to caregivers, healthcare workers and younger generations as well. Older caregivers often understand the emotional and physical needs of elderly people better than younger caregivers because they themselves are going through similar experiences,” he said.He also pointed to the shortage of trained geriatric specialists and caregivers. “There are very few trained geriatricians and geriatric nurses in the country despite the growing elderly population. India needs stronger caregiver training systems, health educators and community-based support structures for older adults,” he said. For elderly students, a diploma is no longer an academic course. It has become a way of reclaiming visibility in a society that often sidelines the elderly once their professional and familial roles begin to fade.