Snehal Upadhyay-
Kerala government has issued directions for all its male employees to sign an undertaking form that declare that they would neither accept nor promote taking dowry upon marriages.
These directions were issued by a circular, issued by the Women and Child Development Department.
The circular sought State to issue directions so that the rising dowry deaths in the State could be taken proper care of and made stopped.
All the Department Heads including private, autonomous bodies and other institutions were told to get the declaration from their employees within one month of their marriage.
They are also directed to acknowledge the receipt of the circular and to compile a report on the declarations every six months before the 10th of April and October every year and they should submit the same to their respective District Dowry Prohibition Officers.
Whereas the District Dowry Prohibition Officers are directed to submit reports of all the departments who shall fail in furnishing the said declaration before 15th of every April and October.
It was also directed that 26th November of every year shall be seen as the Dowry Prohibition Day in the State.
Further, the directions also instructed the students in schools, colleges, and other educational institutions shall take a pledge in the general assembly on this date for neither taking nor accepting dowry.