Syllabus: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Context: NGO Just Rights for Children selected 38 high-risk Rajasthan districts for intensive drive to eliminate child marriage through community efforts and legal interventions over next year.
More in News:
- JRC working with 17 partner organizations claims to have prevented 22,480 child marriages in Rajasthan during last year; drive will support State government actions using village panchayat resources for awareness.
- 38 districts identified as “high-prevalence areas” for child marriages according to National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) conducted from 2019 to 2021 across country comprehensively.
- Rajasthan’s child marriage prevalence at 25.4%, barely above national average of 23.3% (share of women aged 20-24 who married before turning 18); huge disparity across districts observed.
- Chittorgarh and Bhilwara districts have child marriage prevalence over 40%; nine districts including Jhalawar, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi have prevalence over 30% indicating severity.
- Nine more districts show child marriage prevalence between 23% and 29.9%; JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu emphasized community groups, faith leaders, village panchayats, citizens will play important role in drive.
- Union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched 100-day nationwide movement on Friday to help end child marriage by 2030; India committed to global target aligned with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
- Ribhu stated “Child marriage is crime against children. We will make every possible effort to completely eliminate child marriages through collective work” during announcement in Jaipur on Saturday.
Child Marriage in India
- Current Prevalence in India
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- NFHS data shows child marriage fell from 47.4% (2005–06) to 26.8% (2015–16).
- Declined further to 23.3% in 2020–21, yet remains high for a population of 141.2 crore.
- Eight States exceed the national average, with West Bengal, Bihar, and Tripura reporting over 40% prevalence among women aged 20–24.
- Some States display improvement: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana show notable declines in child marriage rates.
- Global Context
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- UNICEF estimates 12 million girls marry annually before 18 across the world.
- SDG 5 targets elimination of child, early and forced marriage by 2030.
- South Asia reduced the likelihood of child marriage from 50% to under 30% over the past decade, though progress is uneven.
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- Consequences of Child Marriage
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- Recognised as a human rights violation and a form of gender-based violence.
- Strong adverse effects across maternal and child health outcomes.
- Recent infant deaths in Murshidabad highlight the link between early marriage, low birth weight, and poor health indicators.
- NFHS-5 reports 55.4% of women (20–24 years) in Murshidabad married before 18, reflecting persistent vulnerabilities.
- Legal Framework
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- Key laws include:
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- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
- POCSO Act, 2012.
- 2021 Amendment Bill proposes raising women’s legal marriage age from 18 to 21 years.
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- Rationale for Increasing Women’s Marriage Age
- Early marriage restricts education and employment opportunities.
- Early pregnancy heightens risks of malnutrition, reproductive disorders, PPH, STDs, and poor mental health.
- Higher marriage age supports better health outcomes and socio-economic empowerment.
- Government Initiatives
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana – encourages long-term savings for girls’ education and marriage.
- Balika Samriddhi Yojana – promotes school enrolment and retention among disadvantaged girls.
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao – focuses on protecting and educating girls and fostering an enabling environment for empowerment.
