The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the administration to reconsider its requirement that girls must pass 8th grade to qualify for marriage assistance funds, following a public interest petition challenging the rule.
The court’s division bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal, as per Srinagar-based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com disposed of the case after government lawyers assured them the Social Welfare Department would re-examine the controversial clause within two months.
The petition was filed by local law student Abdul Hamid Rather, who argued the education requirement unfairly excluded underprivileged girls who may have left school early due to poverty or lack of access.
Under the Marriage Assistance Scheme, low-income families can receive financial help for their daughters’ weddings. However, the current rules make completion of middle school mandatory – a condition critics say creates unnecessary barriers for the most vulnerable beneficiaries.
Senior government lawyer A.R. Malik told the court the administration was already reviewing the policy and would make a final decision by September this year. The outcome could potentially expand access to the welfare program for thousands of families across the J&K. (KDC)
