A welcome step towards inclusion

In a significant and humane move, the Jammu and Kashmir government is mulling the removal of the educational qualification bar in the marriage assistance scheme — a decision that could prove to be a lifeline for hundreds of underprivileged girls across the region. Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, in a bold and progressive stand, has rightly questioned the relevance of requiring applicants to have passed the 8th grade to avail benefits meant to support marriages in economically weaker families.

This move is not just administrative—it’s deeply humanitarian. The marriage assistance scheme, which was introduced to financially support the poor during the burdening wedding season, had inadvertently created a barrier that excluded many deserving girls from remote areas, where access to education is still a challenge. The 8th-grade qualification requirement, added just two years ago, has now become a stumbling block rather than a stepping stone.

Minister Sakina Itoo’s words strike a chord with the ground reality: “We think there is no purpose of having an educational bar in the marriage assistance scheme which aims to help underprivileged girls.” Her statement reflects not only political wisdom but also empathy toward the socio-economic struggles faced by many families.

For girls in far-flung regions and disadvantaged communities, this scheme is often the only glimmer of hope. But when policies demand certificates instead of assessing real need, the very purpose of welfare is defeated. Education is essential, no doubt—but denying basic assistance for lack of it only punishes the poor for a failure not of their making, but of systemic neglect.

By paving the way for a more inclusive approach, Sakina Itoo has shown leadership that listens. The removal of this bar is not about diluting standards; it’s about understanding circumstances. It’s about ensuring that a poor girl does not remain unmarried or that a family does not sink deeper into debt because a piece of paper declared them ineligible for help.

This is a step in the right direction—one that shifts the focus from bureaucracy to humanity, from conditions to compassion. In a society still grappling with poverty and inequality, such interventions are not just policy tweaks—they are instruments of justice.

Let us hope that this proposal is swiftly approved by the cabinet and that no deserving girl is ever again left behind because of an outdated clause. After all, dignity, love, and support should never be conditional.