In the course of life, having passed many ups and downs, valleys and plateaus, enduring sun, rain, and clouds, passing on knowledge, skills, and experiences to the next generation, equipped with the experience of religion, ethics, customs, culture, and tradition, senior citizens are the living embodiment of our nation's history, wisdom, and cultural heritage. They have crossed the age of 60, the icons of history, familiar with the mountains, hills, and plains of the Terai, rivers, waterfalls, streams, and ravines. Eastern philosophy and religious scriptures have always instructed us to serve and honor our elders with respect and dignity.

Today, as we enter the 21st century, due to changes in the social environment and lifestyle, some challenges have started to appear in front of our society. The breakdown of joint family systems, rapid technological change, and modern lifestyle pressures have created new difficulties for seniors. Many elderly citizens struggle with loneliness, inadequate support, and loss of purpose when they can no longer engage in active daily life. Their adult children, often employed abroad or constrained by time and economic pressures, are unable to provide adequate care. Similarly, new technology and its use have created some discomfort and have directly affected the directors of society, the pride of the nation, and our guardians, the senior citizens. Parents who put in a lot of effort, energy, art, skills, intelligence, and discretion to ensure that their children are happy, prosperous, and respected, but when they reach the end of their lives, their bodies become weak and they have to retire from active daily life and rest, some senior citizens are forced to suffer physically even in such a situation.

Looking at the world history of senior citizens, in 1977, the United Nations General Assembly decided to hold a conference on the rights, welfare, and social security of senior citizens. The Vienna Conference on Senior Citizens that year marked the first world conference dedicated to this cause. Although 124 countries participated, Nepal was unable to attend. The conference established principles for guaranteeing economic and social security for seniors and formulated a global action plan, though initial implementation faced challenges.

In 1982, the Vienna Conference on Older Persons was held again. On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons, aiming to raise awareness about the impact of the growing senior population on society's economic, social, political, and cultural life. The 1991 General Assembly established principles related to senior citizen rights, emphasizing independence, participation, care, and respect as major issues. On December 15 and 16, 1992, the United Nations International Conference on Older Persons also decided to celebrate 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons.

The Second World Conference on Older Persons was held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, from April 8 to 12, 2002, with the participation of 159 countries, including Nepal. This conference adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action for Older Persons. The declaration presented more than 100 actions to be taken for the rights of older persons. All these suggestions focus on the rights of senior citizens, health services, and creating a supportive environment. All member states of the United Nations are working together with national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations in the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action for Senior Citizens in their respective countries.

As per our social norms, the tradition of living in joint families is being broken and is becoming increasingly fragmented and transformed into single and small families, which is why our parents are forced to remain in a helpless state. Due to our religious beliefs, social and family awareness, economic deprivation, etc., the environmental balance within the family is being disrupted, and senior citizens are having to spend a lonely and miserable life in the latter half of their lives. In order to prevent senior citizens from becoming victims of situations created by such various reasons, to provide institutional support to senior citizens, to try to keep their self-esteem high, to turn the situation created by lack of family and social awareness into an easy one, to increase the right awareness among the descendants, and to help make the private property of senior citizens useful in life, and to create an environment for transferring knowledge, skills, experience, etc. to the second generation, the then CPN-UML Ward Committee Damak 10 started a campaign from 2058 BS Mangsir 10 to 12 by taking 33 senior citizens from the poor and disadvantaged groups on a free 3-day country tour and pilgrimage tour, to establish a social organization to continue the campaign, and to establish a joint foundation under the leadership of social figures living within the Damak Municipality area with the aim of supporting senior citizens.

On 22 Asad 2059 BS, the first formal meeting of this foundation decided to form and operate the following ad hoc committee.

The ad hoc committee thus formed established an organization named "Jestha Nagarik Samman Pratisthan Nepal" on Shravan 17, 2059 BS with the main slogan "Let's respect senior citizens, let's enhance national pride" and registered it at the District Administration Office, Jhapa. The founding committee included:

1. Prakash Kumar Niraula - President
2. Sitaram Pokhel - Vice President
3. Sitaram Khatiwada - Secretary
4. Moti Bahadur Engnam - Deputy Secretary
5. Meghraj Timsina - Treasurer
6. Durgaprasad Paudel - Member
7. Bhanubhakta Subedi - Member
8. Khagendra Prasad Bhandari - Member
9. Dhanpati Baral - Member
10. Shantiram Dhakal - Member
11. Narayan Kumar Vanem - Member
12. Kedarnath Parajuli - Member
13. Vibhishan Sharma - Member

The personalities who led the subsequent committees to take this Senior Citizens Foundation forward have been Prakash Niraula, Bhawani Prasad Dahal, Sitaram Khatiwada, and Durga Prasad Paudyal, who have been assuming the responsibility of chairmanship.