INHERITANCE OF MARRIAGE AGE: THE CASE OF RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Abstract

E desp ARLY and universal marriage is the characteristic of nuptiality pattern in India. Despite the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 and its amendment in 1978, pre-puberty and child marriages still continue to take place in India, particularly in Rajasthan state (Goyal, 1988). Singulate Mean Age at Marriage (SMAM) computed from the Census data for the years 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1991 shows that in Rajasthan the mean age at marriage has increased (Table 1). However, even by 1991 the mean age at marriage of females did not cross the minimum legal age at marriage of 18 years.