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Age and marriage: On raising the age of marriage for women

Focus must be on creating social awareness about women’s reproductive health and rights

Good intent does not guarantee favourable outcomes. Coercive laws without wide societal support
often fail to deliver even when their statement of objects and reasons aims for the larger public
good. Within days of the Union Cabinet approving a proposal to raise the age of marriage for women
from 18 to 21 years, the same age as for men, the Government listed it for legislative business in
Parliament this week. If passed, various personal and faith-based laws which govern marriages in
India now, including The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Special Marriage Act, 1954, and the
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, will have to be amended. In her Budget speech last year,
Finance Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the Government would set up a task force to look
into the age of a girl entering motherhood with an aim to lower maternal mortality rates, improve
nutrition levels as well as ensure opportunities to women to pursue higher education and careers.
With these targets in mind, a panel headed by former Samata Party chief Jaya Jaitly was set up in June
last year. The panel submitted its report in December 2020. Though the objective looks good on
paper, merely raising the age of marriage without creating social awareness and improving access to
health care is unlikely to benefit the community it wants to serve: young women not yet financially
independent, who are unable to exercise their rights and freedoms while still under the yoke of
familial and societal pressures.

According to Ms. Jaitly, raising the age of marriage is one of its recommendations, which include a
strong campaign to reform patriarchal mindsets, and improved access to education. As per the
National Family Health Survey (2019-2021), 23.3% of women aged 20-24 years married before 18,
which shows that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, has not been wholly successful in
preventing child marriages, especially among the poor. Women’s rights activists point out that
parents often use this Act to punish their daughters who marry against their wishes or elope to evade
forced marriages, domestic abuse, and lack of education facilities. Hence, within a patriarchal setting,
it is more likely that the change in the age limit will increase parents’ authority over young adults. A
good, but not easy, way to achieve the stated objective is to take steps to counsel girls on early
pregnancies, and provide them the network to improve their health. The focus must be on creating
social awareness about women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, and ensuring girls are not
forced to drop out of school or college. Laws cannot be a short cut in the path to social reform.

 Red/blue coloring of words in the sentence indicates subject verb relationship. [Practice Exercise]

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Vocabulary
1. Reproductive health (noun) – 11. Legislative (adjective) – law-making, law-
Reproductive health is a state of complete giving, judicial
physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or 12. Business (noun) – affair, matter, thing,
infirmity. issue, case /

2. Reproductive right (noun) – Reproductive 13. Pass (verb) – approve, vote for, accept,
rights are legal rights and freedoms
ratify,
relating to reproduction and reproductive
health that vary amongst countries around 14. Govern (verb) – determine, decide,
the world.
control, regulate, direct,
3. Intent (noun) – aim, purpose, intention,
15. Amend (verb) – revise, alter, change,
objective
modify,
4. Outcome (noun) – result, end result,
consequence 16. Set up (phrasal verb) – establish

5. Coercive (adjective) – overbearing,

authoritarian, imperious, high-handed 17. Look into (phrasal verb) – investigate,
explore, research, inquire about

6. Societal (adjective) – Relating to society or

social relations.
7. Often (adverb) – frequently, many times,
many a time
8. Deliver (verb) – fulfil, live up to, carry out,
carry through
9. Statement of objects and reasons (noun) –
the statement objects and reasons is often
consulted by courts in order to arrive at
the meaning intended by the legislature.
10. Public good (noun) – The benefit or well-
being of the public.
18. Motherhood (noun) – The state of being a
mother.
19. Maternal (adjective) – Relating to a
mother, especially during pregnancy or
shortly after childbirth.
20. Maternal Mortality rate (noun) – the
number of maternal deaths (direct and
indirect) in a given period per 100,000
women of reproductive age during the
same time period.
21. Ensure (verb) – make sure, make certain,
see to it

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22. Pursue (verb) – strive for, push towards, 31. Activist (noun) – campaigner, reformer,
work towards, seek demonstrator

23. Though (conjunction) – although, even if, 32. Point out (phrasal verb) – indicate, call
even though, in spite of the fact that attention to, draw attention to, identify

24. On paper (noun) – in theory, theoretically, 33. Elope (verb) – run away to marry, run
hypothetically, away together

25. Merely (adjective) – only, just 34. Evade (verb) – elude, avoid, dodge, escape
,
26. Unlikely (Adjective) – improbable, not
likely 35. Abuse (noun) – mistreatment,
maltreatment, ill treatment, ill use
27. Serve (verb) – perform, do, fulfil,
complete, discharge
36. Setting (noun) – Mindset; firm
28. Yoke (noun) – tyranny, oppression,
37. Stated (adjective) – Clearly expressed or
domination, hegemony, ,
identified; specified.
29. Familial (adjective) – Relating to or
38. Counsel (verb) –advise, guide, direct,
occurring in a family or its members.
recommend, encourage ,

30. Patriarchal (adjective) – Relating to or

characteristic of a system of society or 39. Drop out (phrasal verb) – Give up/
government controlled by men. - Abandon a course of study.

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Practice Exercise
Direction (Q1 – Q3): Select the best express synonym of the give word [Editorial page]

1. Coercive
A. Abhor
B. Overbearing
C. Derogatory
D. Propitious
2. Yoke
A. Hypothetical
B. Domestic
C. Tyranny
D. Extraneous
3. Evade
A. Exemplify
B. Dodge
C. Harbinger
D. Belittle
4. What is the antonym of ‘Pass’?
A. Absolute
B. Heyday
C. Reject
D. Scrupulous
5. Idiom and phrase: The government will look into how to reduce unemployment.
A. See through eyes.
B. Investigate.
C. Ignore
D. Take action
6. Para jumbled based on Editorial: Back in the game [Answers]
P. it seeks to revive its economy and strategic role in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
Q. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden,
R. an important step forward in India’s engagement with major global powers as
S. and his first in-person meet of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue mark
A. QRPS B. QPRS
C. QSRP D. QSPR

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Cloze test based on Editorial: Words and deeds [Answers]

For the third consecutive year in a row, and his fourth such speech since he was elected in 2014,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi …………….7………….. the UN General Assembly, outlining his
……………8………………on India’s place in the world. Referring to India’s large population, he said that
the world grows when India grows, and ……………..9…………….. when India reforms, pointing to
examples of the country’s progress and impact: in the area of vaccines and pharmaceuticals,
particularly to ……………..10……………. COVID, green technology and the promise of 450 GW of
renewable energy by 2030, and poverty alleviation.

7. A. conjured B. addressed
C. assuaged D. reproached

8. A. duplicity B. catalyst
C. outlook D. anguish

9. A. decimates B. coerces
C. repudiates D. transforms

10. A. counter B. emigrate

C. subjugate D. ameliorate

Directions (Q11- Q15): Find out the error, if any -

11. The criminal (A) / was hung (B) / last night. (C) / No Error.(D)

12. The actress was (A) / admiring at herself (B / in the mirror. (C) / No Error. (D)

13. Yesterday I told you (A) / that I will help you (B) / in all your efforts. (C) / No Error. (D)

14. A chair is (A) /a piece of furniture (B) / to sit. (C) / No Error (D)

15. Nandhini's father insisted (A) / on her marrying the man (B) / of his choice. (C) / No Error. (D)

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Answer
1. B 2.C 3.B 4.C 5.B 6.C 7.B 8.C 9.D 10.A 11.B 12.B 13.B 14.B
15. D [Practice Exercise] [Cloze test]
Explanations
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, and his first in-
person meet of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue mark an important step forward in India’s
engagement with major global powers as it seeks to revive its economy and strategic role in
the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
7. Address (verb) – talk to, speak to संबोधित करना
8. Outlook (noun) – prospects, expectations, hopes. संभावना
9. Transform (verb) – change, alter, modify पररवततन करना
10. Counter (verb) – combat, fight, tackle, confront सामना करना

Explanation of other important words

Sr.NO Words Meanings
Q1 Abhor verb To hate very, very much; to detest
Derogatory adjective Disapproving; Degrading
Propitious adjective Marked by favorable signs or conditions
Q2 Hypothetical adjective Uncertain; unproven
Domestic adjective Having to do with the household or family; , ,
not foreign
Extraneous adjective Unnecessary; irrelevant; extra , ,

Q3 Exemplify verb To illustrate by example; to serve as a good

example
Harbinger noun A forerunner; signal of -
Belittle verb To make to seem little; to put someone ,
down
Q4 Absolute adjective Total; unlimited; perfect
Heyday noun Golden age; prime
Scrupulous adjective Strict; careful; hesitant for ethical reasons ,

To summon or bring into being as if by ,

Q7 Conjure verb
magic
To soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to
Assuage verb
relieve
To scold, usually in disappointment; to
Reproach verb
blame; to disgrace
Q8 duplicity noun The art of being two faced; double – , ,

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dealing; deception
In chemistry, something that changes the
Catalyst noun rate of chemical reaction without itself ,
being changed.
Anguish noun Agonizing physical or mental pain ,
Q9 Decimate verb To kill or destroy a large part of
To force someone to do or not to do
Coerce verb
something
To reject; to renounce to disown to have
Repudiate verb
nothing to do with
To move to new country; to move to a new
Q10 Emigrate verb
place to live; to expatriate
Subjugate verb To subdue and dominate; to enslave
Ameliorate verb To make better or more tolerable

Q.11 (B) 'hung' के बदऱे 'hanged' का प्रयोग होगा क्योंकक "hung' का अर्त है 'लटकाया' जबकक
'hanged' का अर्त है 'फााँसी ‘ दिया।

Q.12 (B) 'admiring' के बाद 'at' का प्रयोग नह ं होगा क्योंकक 'admire a person’ या 'admire oneself
होता है ;
जैसे : -
(i) She admired me.
(ii) He admired himself.

Q.13 (B) 'will' के बदऱे 'would' का प्रयोग होगा क्योंकक घटना Yesterday (past) at Reporting Verb
'told' Past Tense में है । Indirect Narration के ननयम के अनुसार यदद Reporting Verb Past Tense में हो
तो Reported Speech Verb Past Tense ar चादहए; जैसे
(i) She said, Mohan will go there." [Direct]
(ii) She said that Mohan would go there. [Indirect]

Q.14 (C) 'sit' के बाद 'on' का प्रयोग होगा क्योंकक 'sit on a chair का प्रयोग होता है । अतः
(i) I have a chair on which I sit.
(ii) I have a chair to sit on.

Q.15 (D) No Error.

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