We spend nearly two decades preparing for a career, but how much time do we spend preparing for a marriage? That is the question a Goa college is putting to young people while introducing a new certificate course on “marriage readiness”.
Marriage readiness goes beyond preparing for a wedding and requires understanding, commitment and the responsibilities of married life. The course helps people explore what it takes to build a healthy, lasting relationship, Goa College of Home Science Principal Mahesh Pai told PTI.
The “Marriage Readiness: Preparing for Healthy and Lasting Relationships” certificate course, introduced by the college's Department of Human Development and Family Studies, will be held from December 2 to 17, 2026, Pai said.
The 15-day course comes after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, at an event in Panaji on Sunday, said the Goa government intends to introduce pre-marriage counselling across the state to reduce divorces.
According to the state law department figures, more than 3,000 marriage and divorce-related petitions were filed in Goa’s civil courts between 2022 and 2025, including 947 in 2024 alone.
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?”
Pai said marriage readiness involves more than preparing for a wedding. “It requires an understanding of oneself, one’s partner, relationships, commitment and the responsibilities of married life,” he said.
The course offers an opportunity to explore these aspects and develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to build a healthy and lasting relationship, he said.
It is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, unmarried young adults and others interested in building healthy relationships and preparing for marriage, Pai said.
According to the brochure, the course sessions include topics like “Dating: Understanding Its Purpose and Dynamics”, “Self-Awareness and the Need to Belong”, “Exploring Masculinity and Femininity and Its Influence on Relationships” and “Wedding Versus Marriage: Understanding the Difference”.