International Indexed &Referred Research Journal, May, 2012. ISSN- 0975-3486, RNI-RAJBIL 2009/30097;VoL.

III *ISSUE-32

Research PaperLaw

Determinants of Child Marriage

May, 2012 A B S T R A C T
The problem of child marriage is very complex in nature. Demographers, social reformists, legal and administrative experts have taken keen interest in it yet the problem continues. The invasions by foreigners is seen as one of the reasons, even then the notions of religious as well as sexual purity cannot be ignored. The awakening has been a part of a newer ideology advocated by reformists. Hindu child marriage Act, a landmark, has been amended from time to time, rising legal age at marriage, without effective enforcement of associated measures. An exploration by sociologists is sdesirable.

* Lata I. Mulchandani
* Asst. Prof. JKM Commerce / BBA College, Junagadh (Gujarat)

Introduction Child marriages are very old in our Indian culture. Of course they are being opposed in modern times. But still exist because of necessity and with same concerned matters. Determinants of child marriage 1. Social custom Mareille Abeille has made a deeps study of the historical facts on child marriages. She has shown that how this old custom entered by which Indian women are not much benefited. She has shown that how this old custom prevailed for a long time with some religious benefits. 2. Dowry It has been observed that the ratio of Dowry increases according to the age and the education level of the future brides. Some upper-cast parents do not give much education to their daughters of keep them uneducated get them marry early to escape this evil. 3. Demographic Much study has been done on child marriage most of them are demographic and most of them are found in backward communities or families because they are backward economically as well as in literacy. The survey told that child marriages were found more among women than in men. 6.9 % had married before they were of 18 years. On the other had 63.3 % of 1761 women had married below the age of 15 years. Many factors are responsible for this low age among women in Malnad area of Mysore. One of the factors can be conservatism among the people of Malnad and due to this the people of that area preferred their daughters' marriage so early. 4. Education Education is one of the factors which have worked in this direction effectively. Due to that the ratio of child marriage is lower. In this matter Kapadia has noted

that maturity marriage in the present generation has come down from 21.28 % to 2.86 % in the last generation. He adds that child restraint Act of 1929 in one of the factors responsible to controls the child marriage below 14 years of age. 5. Economic: It has also been found out that economic position of the family has meaningful role to play for the age at marriage. This means that if the economic position is lower, the age at marriage in also lower. According to the study made by Jarapur the percentage of child marriage, in the case of females in the highest in the low group (66.2%) and lowest in the high income group (57.1%) .It clarifies that the low income group consider marriage expenses while considering the marriage of their children. 6. Legal: The study conducted by government has shown that legal measures imposed have not much effect on the age at marriage. Though the Hindu code forbids the child marriage still 20 % of the girls marry at the age group of 10 -14 years all over the country, This is found more in rural areas, it clarifies now that illiteracy in rural areas among women in responsible for this evil. 7. Systemic need: Even today we have not been able to decide the most important factors or basic causes of this problem found in home communities, but not in other; so in short, we should find out and suggest some measures in a systematic manner by which this child marriage or early marriage can be effectively controlled at community and family level. Process of change Vina Mazumdar in his arguments pleads that child marriage was however wide spread in all sections of Hindu Society; of course the tribal groups have not entered this. But still child marriages are prevalent

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International Indexed &Referred Research Journal, May, 2012. ISSN- 0975-3486, RNI-RAJBIL 2009/30097;VoL.III *ISSUE-32

have influence of non tribal sections. The aims and ideas which led to child marriages are different from group to group. While the higher caste people thought is as compulsion and feared out caste, for not joing the customs. The lower caste people thought that it was necessary because they had to protect their young women from upper class with solid economic back ground. The recent survey shows that the highest ratio of child marriages is found mostly among the scheduled castes

and Brahmans. Objective of the study : a) Child marriages in rural areas of Rajasthan b) To find out the factors responsible for child marriage in some groups. c) To study the trends in age in child marriages. d) The dominant aspects in child marriages. e)To assess the impact of legislative measures on the prevalence of child marriage practices. f) To delineate the influence of urbanization on child marriage.

R E F E R E N C E
1. George Kurian, "The Indian family in transition: some regional variations", in giri raj gupta, (ed.) family and social change in modern india, pp. 276-789. 2. Vina Mazumdar, The social reform movement in india from ranade to Nehru" in B.R. Narula, (ed.), Indian women: from purdah to modernity, p. 57. 3. P.B. Jarapur, "child marriage in Maland area of Mysore state" journal of family welfare 18(3) march 1972, pp.65-71.

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RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION