Today, many young Indian men are finding it incredibly difficult to get married. The problem isn’t that they don’t want to settle down; it’s that they are struggling to find stable, permanent jobs. When marriage proposals come up, families almost always look for a groom with financial security or a government job. As a result, a growing number of men in their late twenties and early thirties are staying single simply because they feel they cannot take on the responsibility of a family without a steady income.
Fewer Marriages, Fewer Children
Because young people are being forced to delay marriage due to money and job struggles, India is seeing a drop in its birth rates. While countries like Japan and South Korea have been facing this issue for years, India is now experiencing a similar trend. The drop in population growth isn’t just about people choosing not to have kids—it is heavily tied to the financial barriers keeping them from starting families in the first place.
Is Feminism to Blame?
It has become popular to blame “feminism” for breaking up families and making life harder for men. However, looking at the facts paints a different picture.
Basic feminism is simply about giving women the right to study, work, and be equal in the eyes of the law. Because more women are now educated and earning their own money, they are no longer forced to stay in unhappy or abusive marriages just to survive. While India’s overall divorce rate is still very low, it is rising in big cities primarily because women now have the financial freedom to walk away from bad situations.
The Silent Crisis of Men’s Mental Health
One of the most heartbreaking, yet ignored, issues today is the mental health of Indian men. Studies show that married men take their own lives at a much higher rate than married women.
This tragic reality is heavily fueled by how society raises boys. From childhood, men are taught that crying is a sign of weakness and that “real men” don’t show emotional pain. When men go through extreme stress, financial ruin, or heartbreak, they often have no one to talk to. They lack the emotional support systems and counseling that could save their lives.
The Complicated Truth About Marital Laws
There is a massive debate about laws designed to protect married women from cruelty and dowry harassment.
False Cases: The courts have openly noted that these protective laws are sometimes misused. Innocent husbands and their elderly parents are sometimes dragged into fake criminal cases out of anger or revenge.
Real Violence: At the exact same time, true domestic violence remains a massive problem in India. Countless women still face daily physical and mental abuse behind closed doors and are too scared to report it.
We have to accept that both of these things are true: the laws are sometimes abused, but they are also desperately needed to protect vulnerable women.
Finding a Real Solution
Instead of turning this into a fight between men and women, society needs to look at the bigger picture. Blaming a single group or ideology won’t fix anything. To move forward, we need to focus on three things:
Creating better job opportunities and financial security for young people.
Teaching boys that it is okay to ask for help, and building better mental health support systems for men.
Improving the legal system so that real victims get justice quickly, while innocent families are protected from false accusations.
A healthy society is one where women don’t have to suffer in silence, and men aren’t left to carry their heavy burdens completely alone.