Topic: Role of women and women’s organization
1. Laws without wide societal support often fail to deliver even when enacted for the larger public good. Is raising marriage age an apt enough measure to ensure welfare of the girl child? Critically examine. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The Government has listed its proposal to raise the age of marriage for women to 21 for legislative business in Parliament in the coming week. The move comes within days of the Union Cabinet approving the proposal which is based on the recommendations of a task force constituted last year.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about pros and cons raising the age of marriage for girls.
Directive word:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
First, in detail, mention the various pros of raising marriage age by for girls – impact on reproductive health, education, tackling social evils, reducing burden on family, empowerment. Substantiate with statistic and examples.
Next, mention how this maybe not be successful without social support – evidences of child marriage, further solidifying patriarchy, affect autonomy of girls etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
