53% Males And 42% Females Currently Unmarried In Maharashtra

Reflecting that the age for marriage has increased in our times, the latest Economic Survey of Maharashtra has revealed that there are around 53.5 per cent males and 42.5 per cent females who are unmarried in the state. However, these state figures are less than the national average that stands at 54.5 per cent for males and 44.8 per cent females in the non-married category. One of the reasons for this is being cited as migration for work and education by sociologists and population scientists. This is the primary reason for the delay in marriage. Moreover, currently, India has nearly 50 per cent of its population as youth, and for them, the age for marriage has increased.

More women are divorced and separated than men.

The Economic Survey was released last week and talks about the socio-economic condition of the state. Under the population column, it says “Among widowed/divorced /separated population, male is 1.5 per cent and female are 6.4 per cent in Maharashtra against the national average of 1.7 per cent and 5.8 per cent respectively.” These figures are based on the Sample Registration System 2016 from the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. There are three categories in the survey for marriage data, being, never married, currently married, and ever married for divorced, separated or widowed people.

One of the reasons for this is being cited as migration for work and education by sociologists and population scientists. This is the primary reason for the delay in marriage.

Dr Vibhuti Patel, a professor with the Advance Centre of Women Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai, told Mumbai Mirror, “Interstate migration in both rural-urban areas for education and job is high. Post-1990s, the young generation has become more assertive of taking control of their lives and shaping their career. Even in rural areas, the population has come out of agriculture as a profession and has started working in different industries and service sectors. The ideas of marriage are different among the youths. According to a CSDC survey, some youngsters prefer live-in relation to marriages.”

As of November 2018, India has the lowest divorce rate. According to recorded data, the marriage and divorce statistics are dramatically changing due to a number of factors. Most common reasons include incompatibility, infidelity, drug/alcohol addiction, physical/mental abuse. In India, only 13 marriages out of a 1000 result in divorce. The low divorce rate is mainly because of the social pressure, arranged marriages usually take place over months between two families and not individuals. According to BBC, some facts regarding divorce in India are:

• 1.36 million people in India are divorced. That is equivalent to 0.24% of the married population, and 0.11% of the total population.
• More strikingly, the number of people separated is almost thrice the number of people divorced - 0.61% of the married population and 0.29% of the total population.
• More women are divorced and separated than men.
• Divorce rates in north-eastern states are relatively higher than elsewhere in India: Mizoram has the highest divorce rate (4.08%), more than four times that of Nagaland, the state with the second highest rate (0.88%).
• Gujarat reports the maximum number of divorce cases among bigger states — with a population of more than 10 million — followed by Assam, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir.
• Meghalaya has the most number of cases of separation, followed by Mizoram, Sikkim, Kerala, and Chhattisgarh. Three of these five states are in north-eastern India.

Read More: Law Panel Suggests Equal Share In Property For Divorced Women