Want to prepare for married life? Goa college introduces a certificate course on relationships

A Goa college is introducing a certificate course to help young adults understand marriage, relationships and family responsibilities, focusing on the preparation needed to build healthy and lasting partnerships.

Titled “Marriage Readiness: Preparing for Healthy and Lasting Relationships,” the 15-day course will be conducted from Dec 2 to 17, 2026, by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Goa College of Home Science.

The initiative comes after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the state government's intention to introduce pre-marriage counseling across Goa. Speaking at an event, he said the proposed initiative aims to reduce divorces.

Goa College of Home Science Principal Mahesh Pai said the course is designed to help participants understand the different aspects of marriage and the responsibilities involved in building a family.

“Marriage requires an understanding of oneself, one’s partner, relationships, commitment and the responsibilities of married life,” Pai said.

The course introduction also raises questions about the time young people devote to preparing for marriage compared with their preparation for professional careers.

The college's admission brochure states, “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?”

The initiative highlights the need to look beyond wedding arrangements and understand the emotional and personal aspects of married life. It aims to help participants explore what contributes to a healthy and lasting relationship.

The course is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, unmarried young adults and others interested in developing healthy relationships and preparing for marriage.

According to the college brochure, the sessions will cover several aspects of relationships, personal identity and expectations surrounding marriage.

The topics include “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.”

The curriculum is intended to help participants examine dating, understand their own identities and explore how ideas of masculinity and femininity influence relationships. It will also distinguish between the preparations for a wedding and the responsibilities of marriage.

The proposed course comes against the backdrop of marriage and divorce-related legal proceedings in the state. According to Goa law department figures, more than 3,000 marriage and divorce-related petitions were filed in the state's civil courts between 2022 and 2025.

The figures also show that 947 such petitions were filed in 2024 alone, highlighting the volume of marriage-related cases handled by civil courts in the state.