Table of Contents
What is the average age of marriage in India?
According to a 2019 report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the average age of women’s marriage in India is already 22.1 years. Yet, while falling within this average, Kerala’s MMR is 43 (national average 113) and IMR is 10 (33).
What is the correct age of marriage?
Presently, the minimum age of marriage for men is 21 but for women, it is 18. The government is eyeing changes to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act, and the Hindu Marriage Act to bring the plan into action. A NITI Aayog task force headed by Jaya Jaitly had backed the proposal.
What is the age of majority for marriage in India?
Currently, the law prescribes that the minimum age of marriage is 21 and 18 years for men and women, respectively. The minimum age of marriage is distinct from the age of majority, which is gender-neutral. An individual attains the age of majority at 18 as per the Indian Majority Act, 1875.
What is the marriageable age of a boy in India?
Indian law under the Hindu Marriage Act has defined the marriageable age of a boy and girl. Legally a boy in India needs to be 21 and girl needs to be 18 years of age at the time of marriage. Going back to the 18 th century, the minimum legal age to marry for a boy was 14 and for a girl it was 12 years in most parts of the country.
Is India’s first marriage rate improving?
The median age at first marriage for both men and women in India has registered a significant decadal improvement with more people now marrying later than ever before. Any attempt to leapfrog through quick-fix and ill-conceived punitive measures will only considerably reverse these gains.
Should the legal age of marriage be raised to 21 years?
Increasing the legal age of marriage to 21 years will add to these existing hurdles for young women’s access to reproductive and sexual healthcare. All these put SC-ST households, who have the least recourse to legal and other safeguards, at a greater risk.