Srinagar, May 29 -- A new study has revealed that as education and job opportunities for men in India have improved over the decades, the prevalence of dowry has increased.

BBCreported thatpaying and accepting dowry is a centuries-old tradition in South Asia where the bride's parentsgiftcash, clothes, and jewelry to the groom's family. Even though the practice has been illegal in India since 1961, it continues to thrive and leaves women vulnerable to domestic violence and even death.

Jeffrey Weaver of the University of Southern California and Gaurav Chiplunkar of the University of Virginia examined more than 74,000 marriages in India between 1930 and 1999 to examine the evolution of dowry over time, BBC said.

They calculated "net dowry...