KIIT Centre for Constitutional Law Studies & Research (CCLSR), KIIT Law School (KLS) organized a Panel Discussion on the topic “Increase of Women’s Age for Marriage: Social and Legal Ramifications” on 30th January 2022. Prof. S. N. Mishra, Dean, KIIT School of Management; Adv. Ashwini Upadhyay, Advocate, Supreme Court of India; and Dr. Tapan Mohanty, Professor, National Law Institute University, Bhopal were the key speakers of the panel discussion.
Adv. Ashwini Upadhyay stated that the increase of women’s age at marriage is a great initiative and should be debated in each part of the country. Tracing the origin of the issue back to 2015, he said that he had filed a petition in the Supreme Court and a different High Court in 2015. Financial independence, mental and physical maturity can’t be attained at the age of 18, he said, while highlighting the history of child marriage. The speaker emphasized the advantages of increasing the age and explained the constitutional validity of the bill.
Speaking on the subject, Prof. S. N. Mishra provided an overview of the historical aspect with respect to the marriage scenario in the country in lenses of the personal laws. This bill is an attempt towards bringing a universal civil code, he pointed out. Dr. Tapan R. Mohanty explained marriage as an institution. He elaborately discussed the societal implications of the debated bill.
The speakers highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of the theme of the discussion. They also pointed out the criticism faced by the bill. They gave a brief idea about the origin of child marriage in India and how it became a problem over the years. They also highlighted the problems faced by girls after early marriage.
Dr. Kyvalya Garikapati, Associate Professor, KLS, Coordinator-CCLSR, and HOD, Department of Constitutional Law & Administrative Law moderated the discussion. She highlighted advantages, disadvantages and problems related to the theme of the discussion. The webinar was attended by the faculty members, academicians, the members of the CCLSR, and students.