The practice of “contractual marriages” is increasing in Punjab. Many aspire to move abroad and start a new life, and they often pursue this dream by taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.
This exam allows them to apply to universities after obtaining a satisfactory score, expediting the admission process to foreign universities.
While some people find the IELTS test manageable and get good scores, others struggle to understand the language and end up with lower scores.
These individuals have now devised an alternative approach to facilitate their aspirations abroad.
The growing trend of “contractual marriages” is gaining attention. In this agreement, two families collaborate, where a person with limited education, who struggles to perform well on the IELTS exam, financially supports the education abroad of a talented student. In return, the supporter gets a spousal visa.
Misleading marriage advertisements in Punjab newspapers promote such arrangements.
The goal is to find a bright girl ready to take the IELTS exams, and these ads openly feature financial incentives.
Raminder Singh, who runs a local marriage bureau, discussed this emerging trend. He clarified that in the past these agreements were generally kept hidden.
However, the situation has changed and now it is happening openly.
Families are now collaborating more openly with marriage offices to find partners willing to financially support their daughters’ education abroad.
He reportedly said: “There is a growing vogue for ensuring opportunities for children to settle abroad. Approximately 90 percent of the marriage profiles we receive are concerned with identifying suitable NRI boys or girls.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn