Encouraging inter-caste marriages: UP govt to give Rs 50,000 to couples

In a move that it hopes will eliminate caste divides, the UP government has reportedly decided to gift Rs 50,000 to a couple opting for inter-caste marriage with the newly-married couples also being given a medal and certificate. [caption id=“attachment_1547985” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image used for representational purpose only. Reuters[/caption] According to a Times of India report, eight inter-caste couples will be commended on 8 February in Meerut. This new scheme to felicitate inter-caste couples will extend throughout the state- income no bar, with the sole condition being that either the bride or the groom has to hail from a scheduled caste background. Couples who want to benefit from the scheme will have to appear before the district magistrate with their marriage certificate, after which their names will be forwarded for approval and if found to be authentic, will be renumerated. This is not the first time an Indian state has tried to implement a scheme to help encourage inter-caste marriages and various states have similar schemes for which they receive funding from the central government. The central government has been implementing the scheme from 1958 under which 50 per cent of the amount allocated by a state to encourage intercaste marriages is given by the Centre.