Course for a happy, long-lasting marriage

Panaji: India is a country obsessed with marriages. It seems like the ultimate goal of life for several people, wishing for a marriage that lasts forever.

And to help people prepare for it, a Goa college is introducing a new certificate course on "marriage readiness".

The "Marriage Readiness: Preparing for Healthy and Lasting Relationships" certificate course, introduced by the Goa College of Home Science's department of human development and family studies, will be held from December 2 to 17, 2026.

The course explores what it takes to build a healthy, lasting relationship, principal Mahesh Pai said. It focuses on requirement beyond the wedding -- of understanding, commitment and the responsibilities of married life.

The course comes after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the government plans to introduce pre-marriage counselling across the state.

As per reports, more than 3,000 marriage and divorce-related petitions were filed in Goa's civil courts between 2022 and 2025, including 947 in 2024.

Introducing the course, the college's brochure asks: 'We invest almost 20 years in preparing for a career, but how much time do we invest in preparing for a marriage or family life, which usually makes up more of your life than a career?'

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The Hans India