New Delhi: Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi on Wednesday launched the ‘Child Marriage Free India Campaign’ with an aim to free the country from child marriage. He said that in the last one year around 2 lakh child marriages have been stopped.
Child marriage: a serious violation of human rights
The Minister said: “Today, one in five girls in our country is married before the age of 18. Child marriage is not only a serious violation of human rights but also a criminal offense.” He highlighted India’s progress in ending child marriage and said India has contributed significantly to the overall decline in child marriage rates in South Asia.
According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), the child marriage rate in the country was 23.3% in 2019-21, 26.8% in 2015-16 and 47.4% in 2005-06.
Goal to reduce 5% by 2029
The Minister called on States to draw up plans in their respective areas that can contribute to reducing the rate of child marriage below 5% by 2029.
Launch of ‘Child Marriage Free Bharat Portal’
Under the campaign, the minister launched ‘Child Marriage Free Bharat Portal’, where people can lodge complaints related to child marriage. These complaints will go directly to the relevant Child Marriage Prohibition Officer (CMPO). All states have been directed to register their officials on the portal so that cases can be tracked in real time.
Emphasis on special focus areas
The campaign will focus on seven high-burden states (West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam and Andhra Pradesh) and 300 districts where child marriage rates are higher than the national average.
a sustained campaign
The Minister clarified that this campaign is not an isolated effort but an ongoing effort to completely eliminate child marriage. Citing the recent Supreme Court decision, he said addressing child marriage requires “the overall involvement of society and government.”
The campaign is based on the strict implementation of the ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006’ to end child marriage and ensure the rights of girls.
India’s global achievements
“According to the UN report, South Asia has seen the steepest drop in child marriage rates, and India has played the biggest role in this,” the minister said. The objective of this campaign is not only to end child marriage but also to provoke a cultural change against it in society.
