Lok Sabha Question No. 1372 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-22
Subject: Child Marriage
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: J.C. DIVAKAR REDDY, GEETHA KOTHAPALLI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1372

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.12.2017

## CHILD MARRIAGE

## 1372.   SHRI J.C. DIVAKAR REDDY: SHRIMATI KOTHAPALLI GEETHA:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)         whether  some States including West Bengal, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have the dubious distinction of lakhs of children being married off before the legal age while thousands of children go missing, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b)      the number of such incidents reported in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State/ UT-wise; and
- (c)        the  corrective  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  check  such  incidents  along  with  the directions/advisories issued to States/UTs in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a)     & (b): There is no such information with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, a total number of 280 cases in 2014, number of 293 cases in 2015 and 326 cases in 2016 were registered under the Prohibition of Child  Marriage  Act  (PCMA)  2006.    The  State-wise  Cases  Registered  (CR)  under  the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 during 2014, 2015 and 2016 are at Annexure-I.
- (c)     The Government of India is concerned about the prevalence of child marriages in the country and has enacted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006. As the issue concerning child marriage are deeply rooted in poverty, socio-culture mindset, there is a need to step up awareness  by  undertaking  drives  highlighting  the  evil  effects  of  this  practice.  This  is  a continuous process and Government undertakes media campaigns and outreach programmes to address it.

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Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1372 for 22.12.2017 regarding Child Marriage

## No. of Cases Registered (CR) under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 during 2014, 2015 and 2016

| Sl. No.   | State/UT          |   2014 |   2015 |   2016 |
|-----------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    |     16 |     15 |     19 |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 3         | Assam             |      4 |     14 |     23 |
| 4         | Bihar             |     10 |      0 |      0 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      |      2 |      6 |      8 |
| 6         | Goa               |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 7         | Gujarat           |     16 |      9 |     12 |
| 8         | Haryana           |     15 |     14 |     14 |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh  |      4 |      1 |      0 |
| 10        | Jammu &Kashmir    |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 11        | Jharkhand         |      1 |      1 |      4 |
| 12        | Karnataka         |     44 |     35 |     51 |
| 13        | Kerala            |     19 |     13 |      8 |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh    |     15 |      9 |      9 |
| 15        | Maharashtra       |     14 |     24 |     16 |
| 16        | Manipur           |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 17        | Meghalaya         |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 18        | Mizoram           |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 19        | Nagaland          |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 20        | Odisha            |      0 |      1 |     15 |
| 21        | Punjab            |      2 |      5 |      8 |
| 22        | Rajasthan         |      5 |      6 |     12 |
| 23        | Sikkim            |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu        |     47 |     77 |     55 |
| 25        | Telangana         |     13 |     15 |     19 |
| 26        | Tripura           |      1 |      2 |      1 |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh     |     10 |      4 |      3 |
| 28        | Uttarakhand       |      0 |      1 |      1 |
| 29        | West Bengal       |     37 |     40 |     41 |
| 30        | A &NIslands       |      0 |      1 |      1 |
| 31        | Chandigarh        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 32        | D &NHaveli        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 33        | Daman &Diu        |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 34        | Delhi             |      2 |      0 |      1 |
| 35        | Lakshadweep       |      0 |      0 |      0 |
| 36        | Puducherry        |      3 |      0 |      5 |
|           | Total             |    280 |    293 |    326 |

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