<i>India to loosen divorce laws as society changes</i>

Marriage is the central focus of most Indian lives, but the government yesterday took steps to make divorce easier as nuptial breakdown becomes more common.
Traditional Indian marriages are still arranged by parents along lines of caste, religion and wealth -- and the couple are expected to stay together and produce children even if they find themselves unsuited.
However divorce rates have risen in recent years as the country has undergone rapid economic development, massive migration to cities and an upheaval of established social norms.
Ambika Soni, the minister of information and broadcasting, told reporters the proposed change in the law would help an estranged partner get a divorce "if any party does not come to court or willfully avoids the court".