How Marriage is a one factor influencing population growth ? ( In Indian view)

Marriage is a one factor influencing population growth . Marriage, separation, divorce and widowhood are affecting the population They are also related to the process of migration . Marriage has profound influence on fertility. It is the first step of reproductive process. Though marriage is not a necessary biological condition, for the birth of a child, marriage is widely practiced. Many countries of the world do not allow to have a child before marriage. Marriage means the legal union of persons of opposite sex. Constituted by an act or ceremony or process.

 The legality of this union may be established by civil, religious or other means recognised by the society . Marriage provides the biological continuity of the society through procreation. Marriage provides cultural continuity through the suitable atmosphere for socialization. The age of marriage for females makes the beginning of reproductive life. It is through the variables of marriage that replacement takes place in a meaningful way. Generally marriage is that stage in the life of man or a woman when they are socially permitted to live together. So the leagal recognition of physical relationship between two sexes is known as Marriage .Several established customs are determining the factors like age at marriage, , number of marriage, size of family etc. It is a social as well as biological necessity for human beings. A change of marital status may also have an influence on mortality and migration. 

The number of marriages are materially affected by changes in the number of men and women in the country . Marriages tend to become a curse in bad times.Economic degression reduces the number of marriages. Many couples have to postpond their weddings due to unfavourable circumstances. They also exhibit some seasonal variation. preference is given for holiday period or time after harvest. This variation differ from region to region .Data on marriage is collected from marriage registration. Marriage is studied under crude marriage rate and specific marriage rate.

Factors affecting marriage rate: The marriage rate of any population is affected by the following factors: 

1. Fertility:

 Fertility rate of population is positively correlated with the proportion of married to unmarried. It increase or decrease the number of children born for married couple.

 2. Sex differentials: The marriage rate of a country also depends on the number of unmarried men and women. It is rarely found that the number of adult women and men are equal. If by chance the number of unmarried women exceeds number of unmarried men the marriage rate for women will be lower than men. 

3. Proportion of married: 

There is greater fluctuation in marriage rates than the proportions. Generally proportional marriage has a tendency to become constant in between 45-60 years. The proportions married is only affected by death at higher ages.

 4. Marriage dissolutions:

 Dissolution of marriage is breaking up of marital relationship. It is found in the form of divorce and death of partner. Separation and desertion also function as temporary marital dissolution. These events bear a positive co-relationship between age and marriage widow is very common in several countries due to the wide range ege diffence between the partners. In those countries generally wife is lesser in age than the husband. 

5. Mean age at marriage: 

Mean age at marriage is the estimated average years of unmarried life of a woman. In other words it is estimated average year of life of woman related to a life table before the first marriage.

The child marriage as a practice started during the middle ages. But for long time many countries were known for child marriage. In India child marriage was an integral part of social system. Age at marriage was low and still it is lower than many countries. Marriage is considered as social compulsion in India. Social customs rooted in patriarchy supports and strongly enforce the norm of child marriage. In almost all religious groups, in all states in India child marriage was practiced. The age at marriage of girls was below 13, in almost all parts of India except some tribal groups. Social reformes started movements against child marriage in the beginning of 20th century. Government has been forced by reformers to change the situation by presenting some legal sanctions. The situation was severely changed by the Sharada Act of 1930. It fixed in that time minimum age of marriage for boys as 18 and girls as 14. The act was further amended in 1949 by raising the age of females to 15. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 made severe changes in the age at marriage. According to 1971 census about 50% do not marry at the age of 10. But these figures were calculated by considering all the persons below the age of10 as unmarried.