India, Dec. 8 -- Marriage is having a bit of a moment in the news cycle. If Jaya Bachchan, married for 52 years, told journalist Barkha Dutt that marriage is an outdated institution, then her colleague, Kajol suggested it should come with an expiry date with an option of renewal.

Just days earlier, Upasana Kameini Konidela was interacting with students at IIT, Hyderabad when she asked a question: How many wanted to get married? More men than women raised their hands. "The women seemed far more career-focused," she remarked on X.

Clickbait? Hardly. These stray remarks are backed by global trends where marriage rates are plunging, with the decline being led by women who are clocking out, leading to what Financial Times called a "relations...