Human Rights Commission Mulls Pre-Marital Counseling for College Students

Citing the alarming rise in marital issues and divorce cases appearing before family courts, the Human Rights Commission has taken decisive action, urging the authorities responsible for college education to explore the feasibility of introducing pre-marital counseling programs for students during their college years.

Acting Chairman and Judicial Committee member K. Baijunath has instructed the Director of Collegiate Education to prepare a comprehensive report evaluating the practicality of implementing this initiative.

This endeavor is rooted in a proposal brought forth by Professor Varughese Mathew, the Principal of St. Xavier’s Arts and Science College in Kozhikode, who emphasized the pressing need for pre-marital counseling in the contemporary context. He stated, “Pre-marital counseling is a necessity of the period and must be considered. It is concerning to note that marriages are easily dissolved and that human rights violations have increased among married couples,” echoing the Commission’s concerns.

The mounting caseload in family courts and the rising demand for additional family courts have not gone unnoticed by the Commission, further underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues. In his proposal, Professor Varughese Mathew advocated for making pre-marital counseling mandatory for final-year undergraduate and post-graduate students. He highlighted colleges as ideal platforms for reaching students from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

Varughese Mathew remarked, “Among Christian Communities, it’s a custom to give pre-marital counseling to the youth. Unfortunately, youth from the rest of the communities do not have the same opportunity. Persons who are preparing for marriage should be given proper guidance and advice regardless of caste and religion.”

He stressed the importance of counseling being accessible to all students, irrespective of their religious backgrounds. In his proposal submitted to the Human Rights Commission, Professor Varughese Mathew proposed conducting these courses during the final year of graduation or post-graduation, with modules spanning 10 to 12 hours.

It’s worth noting that Professor Varughese Mathew also holds the position of President of the Kerala Unaided College Principals’ Council, adding significant weight to this proposal.