Panaji (Goa): Often vocal about women and social issues, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha has emphasized on pre-marital counseling to educate the present generation on the importance of marriage.
“Pre-marital counseling has become a norm in society. It is essential to educate our youth of their rights and responsibilities missing out of the relationship of marriage. A healthy and happy family life is a sign of a healthy society. Counseling helps to build a stable society,” she said after launching a pre-marital counseling program at Goa University (GU) today.
Sinha also urged the governments at the State and Centre to take steps making it a prerequisite for marriage registration in all communities.
While addressing the gathering thereafter, GU Vice Chancellor Prof Varun Sahni said that pre marital counseling has become a fundamental need of today’s generation. “Pre- marital counseling is the need of an hour. The pre marital counseling which will be located at the Goa University campus will work towards building a holistic model of empowerment by educating young minds with clear thought and will help in building a perspective to lead a happy life,” he stated
The program for the youth of Goa will being conducted through Goa State Resource Centre for Women, an initiative taken by National Mission for Empowerment of Women, Ministry of Women and Child Welfare. The counseling center will be located at the GU Campus with its commencement date to be released soon.
Earlier this year, Sinha had released a study conducted by her on ‘Practice and Effects of the Civil Code in Goa’ that concluded Goa Civil Code integrates society and creates social solidarity.
In her report, she expressed that she was impressed with the pre-marital counseling practiced in Christianity as it prepares and educates the prospective bride and groom on the rights and responsibilities arising out of a marriage. The need for pre-marital counseling was supported by women of all communities, during her interaction with women from across all communities including heads of the respective institutions.
She has also appreciated the practice in some religions of counseling in cases of divorce, and granting it after due course. The decision, if any, in such cases is ratified by the Family Courts. She also observed that for marriages, the Church facilitates transfer of documents to the registrar once the marriage is solemnized in Church, and therefore the couple visits the registrar’s office only once. She had opined that such a practice may be extended to Hindus as well as Muslims.
