Divorce Rates Shooting Up in Pune in Western India

Divorce rates are shooting up in Pune, a noted IT city in western India. The trend is considered disturbing, if not alarming.

"During 2006, there were an average of 150 divorce cases a month but the number went up to approximately 240 cases a month during 2007. While half of them are as per mutual consent, the rest are on unilateral consent," says Vinay Borikar, principal judge at the family courts.

This is very unusual for a country where marriage is considered for life, “till death doth us part.”

With a population of 4.5 million, Pune is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra. It is located roughly 150 kilometers east of Mumbai, India’s commercial metropolis and is itself a rising industrial city.

It has a very strong presence in the automobile sector and is home to many software and information technology (IT) companies.

Interestingly Pune is also considered the cultural capital of Marathi-speaking Maharashtrians. Pune has several reputed colleges and other educational institutions— for this reason it is called the Oxford of the East (or 'Oxford of India').

Given such a backdrop, marriages dissolving quickly is indeed a matter of concern. A host of social, psychological, economic and cultural reasons are cited by couples while applying for a divorce. Lack of compatibility, interfering in-laws, cruelty, domestic violence and irregular communication were the causes of the split. The most typical reason for couples in the age bracket of 25 to 35 was lack of proper communication between them, reports the Times of India.