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Officials at the shelter in the Jharkhand state capital came up with the idea to arrange marriages for the women -- many of whom have been abandoned by husbands or got involved in crime -- two years ago, after struggling to find them new homes.
"The process begins with a search for a suitable groom once a probation home inmate gives her nod for marriage," said Jharkhand shelter spokesman Deepak Vidyarthi.
"We begin looking for a suitable boy by publishing matrimonial ads in newspapers and also through word-of-mouth. Once we find someone genuinely interested in marrying a resident here we follow it up with a stringent verification process."
Rekha, 23, who loves Hindi movie songs and who has lived at the institution since she was caught pickpocketing 10 years ago, is set to marry a milkman in May thanks to the home's efforts.
Carrying out a task usually done by parents in most Indian arranged marriages, government officials vet the men who offer to marry the women.
"They can be taken to task if something is found wrong with the boy after the marriage is solemnised," said home official Vidyarthi.
The verification includes checking the age, income and behaviour of the man as well as his social reputation and his family. Medical certificates, including HIV status, are also examined.
Even after the marriage, officials must keep the state government posted with reports about the girl's well-being.
There are 61 women living at the home, including 14 teenagers. Nineteen women were abandoned by their husbands, and most lack a family support system that could provide help once they leave.
They are "destitute," said home superintendent Renu Sinha. "They have nowhere to go."
That was the case with Rekha, who goes by one name. "I don't know who my parents were," said Rekha.
Now government officials hope she will start a new life outside the institution's walls with a husband and 55,000 rupees (1,250 dollars), a sum pooled together by state agencies to give to each girl getting married.
The sum is a handsome one in a country where a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line.
Although it is not easy to find grooms for such women, there are cases where men are desperate for a wife, home superintendent Sinha said.
In one case, a resident was wed to a widower left with toddler to take care of, after his first wife died in a road accident, Sinha said.
In some cases the men just feel sorry for the women, he added.
As Rekha's wedding approaches, her fellow residents are planning a traditional ceremony for her where they will smear the girl with turmeric paste to cleanse and beautify her.
After the celebrations, residents will enjoy a banquet courtesy of the government.
The bride-to-be, who smiled shyly and looked down when asked about the marriage, said she could scarcely believe it was happening.
"It is a dream for every woman to start her own family and live with her husband," said Rekha. "This marriage is a dream that I didn't think could come true for people like me."
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