Nuns welcome Kerala government move on social security
George Kommattam - January 2026
The head of the Catholic religious in Kerala has welcomed the state government decision to extend social security benefits to eligible women living in religious institutions.
“As a nun, I welcome the Kerala cabinet decision to remove barriers that denied eligible unmarried women above the age of 50, including women religious, access to social security pensions,” said Sister Ardra Kuzhinapurathu, the first woman head of the Kerala Conference of Major Superiors, which includes 267 women religious congregations with more than 34,000 members.
The government release said the cabinet’s January 28 decision is intended to ease procedural barriers that have prevented many women, including nuns, from receiving financial assistance.
According to a release from the state chief minister’s office, the move will apply to women living in convents, monasteries, ashrams and other faith-based institutions. Many among them do not have an independent source of income and have found it difficult to comply with documentation requirements for pensions and other welfare schemes, the press release explained.
Under the new arrangement, unmarried women above the age of 50 from these institutions, who do not draw a salary, pension or any other government benefit, will be classified as a special category.
Sister Ardra, as she is popularly known, says religious life does not automatically guarantee financial security, and many nuns have no fixed income or government benefits.
“This pension is not a special privilege but a rightful entitlement for any unmarried woman who meets the criteria. What truly matters now is fair, transparent, and timely implementation,” the member of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ told Matters India on January 29.
She also welcomed the government’s reported decision to revoke unjust earlier orders and remove the barriers that prevented eligible persons from accessing their rightful benefits.
“However, it must go beyond a mere announcement; concrete and practical steps to remove these obstacles must be put in place in the coming days,” Sister Ardra asserted.
She also said that religious persons have been denied their rights as citizens because of their committed way of life.
“Even basic entitlements such as ration cards became accessible only in recent times. Ensuring that all government benefits reach every eligible citizen—without discrimination based on religion or way of life—is a responsibility the government must uphold,” said the nun, who has led the Catholic religious in Kerala since June 7, 2023.
Kerala accounts for more than one third of India’s 103,000 Catholic women religious. The state also accounts for a sizable number of religious priests, brothers and nuns working in other Indian states and overseas.
The Kerala government move is a followup of its March 21, 2001, order that required income and unmarried status certificates to access pensions.
A special application form tailored for this group will be introduced in place of the standard documentation, the government press release said.
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