In January 2007 Associate Professor Kalyani K.Mehta Ph.D. was selected to be a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore for a term of two and a half years. In her capacity as a non-partisan Member of Parliament, she intends to speak on policies related to older people, relevant gaps in services, and advocate for better quality of long term care. Other issues that Kalyani will highlight are lack of employment opportunities for older people and ways to improve the support for caregivers of seniors, so that experiences of stress and financial burdens will be alleviated.

Kalyani hopes to contribute towards the development of the Mental Incapacity Act. In Singapore there is a current need to revise the Mental Disorders and Treatment Act that was formulated in 1989. Due to the rapidly ageing population in Singapore , cases of dementia are on the rise, there is therefore an urgent need to revise relevant legislation.

Youth at risk are another group that Kalyani wants to help. Based on her earlier research on intergenerational ties within the family and community, she feels that youth can be guided by the older generations especially when the middle generations are at work. The importance of work-life balance and family-friendly practices in the workplace is seen by Kalyani as supporting the family in its roles. Hence, she intends to advocate for more family-friendly practices in the workplace.

Singapore , being an urban metropolis, is an open global city with limited land resources. Solutions to the social problems have to be found within the limits of its resources, and therefore policies have to be crafted bearing this in mind. Dr Mehta has been a member of BSG for a few years, and she feels that both countries can learn a great deal from each other about addressing current social challenges faced.

As a professional social worker Kalyani is interested in examining social policies and their relevance to changing societal conditions. In her role as Parliamentarian, she believes that she will have a voice in the shaping as well as revising policies and services.