Why Child Marriage Continues to Undermine India’s Health, Education and Development Goals

Despite being legally prohibited for decades, child marriage remains one of the most persistent and damaging social practices in India, with serious consequences for health outcomes, education levels, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and long-term economic growth.

Child marriage disproportionately affects young girls, exposing them to early and high-risk pregnancies, increasing vulnerability to domestic violence, curtailing access to education, and reinforcing intergenerational cycles of poverty and gender inequality. As a result, child marriage is not merely a social evil but a structural barrier to national development.

According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5, 2019–21), 23% of women aged 20–24 years in India were married before turning 18. While this reflects a significant decline over previous decades, the scale of India’s population—nearly 146 crore—means that millions of children remain vulnerable, making child marriage both a heinous crime and a continuing public policy challenge.

Where Is Child Marriage Most Prevalent in India?

Child marriage is not confined to any single region or community. While some States report higher prevalence, sporadic instances occur across the entire country, cutting across geography, caste, and religion.

States with particularly high incidences include:

• West Bengal

• Uttar Pradesh

• Bihar

Among women aged 18–29 years, high prevalence is also observed in:

• Tripura

• Jharkhand

• Andhra Pradesh

• Assam

• Telangana

• Madhya Pradesh

• Rajasthan

This uneven progress highlights a critical reality: legal prohibition alone cannot eliminate child marriage unless underlying socio-economic drivers are addressed.

What Is Child Marriage Under Indian Law?

Child marriage is clearly defined and criminalised under Indian law.

Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, a child marriage is any union where:

• The female is below 18 years of age, or

• The male is below 21 years of age

The law recognises child marriage as a violation of a child’s right to life, dignity, education, bodily autonomy, and personal liberty, particularly affecting children in rural, tribal, and marginalised communities.

Why Does Child Marriage Amount to a Serious Criminal Offence?

Child marriage is not merely a civil illegality—it directly intersects with criminal law, especially in cases involving sexual relations.

• Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, any sexual act by a man with his wife who is below 18 years of age constitutes rape

• The Supreme Court of India has clarified that when the husband of a child bride commits penetrative sexual assault, it amounts to aggravated penetrative sexual assault

• Such acts are punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012

This legal position removes any ambiguity: marriage does not legitimise sexual violence against minors.

How Did India’s Fight Against Child Marriage Begin?

India’s opposition to child marriage began in the 19th century, driven by social reform rather than State action.

Reformers such as:

• Raja Rammohan Roy

• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

• Mahatma Jyotirao Phule

led campaigns against regressive practices, resulting in the Age of Consent Act, 1891, and later the Child Marriage Restraint Act (Sarda Act), 1929, which set:

• 14 years as the minimum marriage age for girls

• 18 years for boys

How Did the Legal Framework Evolve After Independence?

Post-Independence, India progressively strengthened the legal framework:

• 1948 amendment: Raised the minimum age for girls to 15 years

• 1978 amendment: Fixed 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys

• 2006: Enactment of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, shifting focus from restraint to prohibition

Parallelly, nationwide awareness initiatives gained momentum.

What Role Did Awareness Campaigns Play?

Legal reforms were accompanied by social campaigns, most notably:

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) launched in 2015

BBBP aimed to:

• Promote girls’ education

• Change social mindsets

• Encourage communities to report and resist child marriages

However, enforcement gaps and socio-economic pressures limited its reach among the most vulnerable populations.

What Makes the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 Significant?

The PCMA, 2006 replaced the Sarda Act and provided a stronger legal framework.

Key Provisions:

• A child is defined as a male under 21 years or female under 18 years

• Child marriages are prohibited and voidable at the option of the child

• A petition for annulment can be filed within two years of attaining majority

• Child marriages are void ab initio in cases involving:

  • Trafficking

  • Force

  • Deceit

  • Immoral purposes

Punishments:

• Up to 2 years rigorous imprisonment and/or ₹1 lakh fine

• Applicable to adult male spouses, parents, guardians, priests, and facilitators

• Women offenders are exempt from imprisonment

Enforcement:

• States appoint Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs)

• Magistrates may issue injunctions to stop impending marriages; violation renders the marriage void

Why Was a New National Mission Needed?

Despite PCMA, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data indicates:

• Infrequent application of the law

• Low conviction rates

Additionally, the stringent nature of laws like POCSO has sometimes led to unintended consequences. Fear of criminalisation has pushed some underage girls toward unregistered, unsafe medical assistance, worsening maternal and child health outcomes.

This highlighted the need for a prevention-first, system-wide approach, rather than relying solely on punitive measures.

What Is Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB)?

Launched on November 27, 2024, Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage-Free India) is a flagship mission of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).

The mission aligns with:

• Article 21 of the Indian Constitution

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.3, which aims to eliminate child marriage by 2030

BVMB builds upon BBBP but introduces a more integrated, technology-driven, and multi-sectoral framework, focusing on prevention, protection, and empowerment, particularly for girls from marginalised communities.

How Did the Supreme Court Strengthen the Framework in 2024?

On October 18, 2024, in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1234 of 2017 — Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action & Anr. vs. Union of India & Ors., the Supreme Court of India issued comprehensive nationwide directions.

Key Directions:

• Prohibition of child betrothals

• Appointment of full-time, dedicated CMPOs at district and sub-district levels

• Creation of Special Child Marriage Prohibition Units

• Mandatory multi-sectoral awareness campaigns involving schools, Anganwadis, NGOs, and religious leaders

• Training of police, judiciary, teachers, and health workers

• Technology-enabled reporting systems

• Maintenance of databases of high-risk areas

The judgment decisively shifted the approach from punishment to prevention and empowerment.

What Is the 100-Day National Campaign Against Child Marriage?

On December 4, 2025, MWCD launched a 100-day high-intensity nationwide campaign across all States and Union Territories.

Key Initiatives:

• Child Marriage-Free Village Certificate for villages with zero reported cases

• Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Yodha Award for the top 10 performing districts

• Geo-tagged progress reporting through the BVMB portal

• National pledge-taking ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi

What Is the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Portal?

The BVMB Portal serves as a centralised public platform that:

• Lists all appointed Child Marriage Prohibition Officers

• Enables real-time reporting of child marriage cases

• Tracks awareness campaigns and enforcement actions

What Progress Has Been Made So Far?

Since its launch, BVMB has recorded significant milestones:

• Nationwide deployment of CMPOs

• Door-to-door awareness drives

• Rapid-response teams linked to Child Helpline 1098

• Akshaya Tritiya 2025 directive, preventing hundreds of child marriages

• Creation of “no-child-marriage zones” in several villages

• Improved conviction rates under PCMA

Internationally, UNICEF has provided technical and capacity-building support, aligning BVMB with:

• SDG 5.3

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Chhattisgarh: A Beacon of Hope Toward Child Marriage-Free India

Balod District

Balod district in Chhattisgarh became India’s first child marriage-free district, recording zero cases for two consecutive years across:

• 436 Gram Panchayats

• 9 urban local bodies

Building on this success, Chhattisgarh aims to become completely child marriage-free by 2028–29.

Surajpur District

On September 17, 2025, coinciding with Poshan Maah 2025, 75 village panchayats in Surajpur district were declared child marriage-free after recording zero cases for two consecutive years.

Why Does Child Marriage Persist Despite Falling Numbers?

NFHS data shows a decline from:

• 47.4% (2005–06) to 23.3% (2019–21)

However, disparities remain stark:

• 40% of girls from the poorest households married before 18

• Only 8% from the richest households

• 48% of girls with no education married early

• Just 4% among those with higher education

This establishes a clear correlation between poverty, lack of education, and child marriage.

What Interventions Have Proven Most Effective?

A UNFPA–UNICEF evidence paper identifies three strategies with the strongest impact:

1. Increasing Girls’ Economic Independence

Poverty is a primary driver of child marriage. Vocational training, financial literacy, and cash incentives for schooling help girls build agency.

In Odisha, girls like Shilo have been able to imagine brighter futures through education and skills training, reducing the pressure to marry early. “Cash-plus” programmes—combining financial assistance with education, health, or livelihood support—have shown strong results.

2. Enhancing Education and Life Skills

Secondary education can reduce child marriage by two-thirds. Education builds confidence, literacy, and social networks, while life skills such as digital literacy and financial planning expand future opportunities beyond marriage.

3. Strengthening Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

Lack of SRHR access increases vulnerability to early marriage. Comprehensive sexuality education and adolescent-friendly health services help prevent unintended pregnancies and empower girls to make informed choices.

Can India End Child Marriage by 2030?

India’s journey—from 19th-century reform movements and the Sarda Act, to the PCMA, 2006, the 2024 Supreme Court judgment, and the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat mission—demonstrates steady progress, but also reveals persistent gaps.

According to Girls Not Brides, at least 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without ending child marriage.

Bridging the gap between policy and practice requires sustained political commitment, community ownership, gender-sensitive education, accessible healthcare, and economic empowerment.

With collective action from governments, communities, NGOs, and citizens, India can honour its 2030 SDG commitment and ensure every child’s right to education, health, dignity, and autonomy.