Lok Sabha Question No. 2116 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Measures to check Child Marriages
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Karti P. Chidambaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 2116 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## MEASURES TO CHECK CHILD MARRIAGES

## 2116.  SHRI  KARTI P. CHIDAMBARAM :

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

- (a) the number of cases of child marriage reported during the last one year, Statewise;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating early and forced marriage of children;
- (c) whether a spike in the number of cases of child marriage due to the pandemic crisis has been reported?
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the measure taken by the Government to check the situation;
- (e) whether  the  increase  is  in  child  marriages  is  due  to  domestic  challenges  and obligations faced by young girls; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and its potential impact on education of children?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (f) :  National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes information on crimes in its publication 'Crime in India'. The published reports are available till the year  2018.  State-wise  and  year-wise total  number  of  cases  of  child  marriage  is available on the website of NCRB  at https://ncrb.gov.in. However,  the  National Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  has  reported  registering  of 111 cases  /  complaints  of  Child  Marriage  during  the  year  2019-20.  The  State/UT-wise details of cases/ complaints of Child Marriage received in NCPCR in the year 2019-20 are given in Annexure.

The  Government  has  enacted  'The  Prohibition  of  Child  Marriage  Act,  2006'  in order  to  prohibit  child  marriages. Advisories  are  issued  to  States/  UTs,  from  time  to time, to ensure effective implementation of the Act.  The Ministry of Women and Child Development implements the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)' scheme in which the creation  of  awareness  on  matters  pertaining  to  gender  equality  and  discouraging  of child marriage is an important focus area. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also undertakes awareness programmes and consultations with stakeholders from time to time in this regard.

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ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a) OF  THE  LOK SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2116  FOR  23.09.2020  ASKED  BY  SHRI  KARTI  P. CHIDAMBARAM REGARDING 'MEASURES TO CHECK CHILD MARRIAGES'

## State/ UT-wise number of cases/ complaints of Child Marriage received in NCPCR during the year 2019-20

| Sr. No   | Name of the State/UT        |   No. of Complaints |
|----------|-----------------------------|---------------------|
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |                   0 |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh              |                   3 |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh           |                   1 |
| 4        | Assam                       |                   0 |
| 5        | Bihar                       |                   8 |
| 6        | Chandigarh                  |                   0 |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh                |                   0 |
| 8        | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      |                   0 |
| 9        | Daman and Diu               |                   0 |
| 10       | Delhi                       |                   3 |
| 11       | Goa                         |                   0 |
| 12       | Gujarat                     |                   0 |
| 13       | Haryana                     |                   4 |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh            |                   0 |
| 15       | Jharkhand                   |                   9 |
| 16       | Karnataka                   |                  16 |
| 17       | Kerala                      |                   0 |
| 18       | Lakshadweep                 |                   0 |
| 19       | Madhya Pradesh              |                   4 |
| 20       | Maharashtra                 |                   1 |
| 21       | Manipur                     |                   0 |
| 22       | Meghalaya                   |                   0 |
| 23       | Mizoram                     |                   0 |
| 24       | Nagaland                    |                   0 |
| 25       | Orissa                      |                   4 |
| 26       | Puducherry                  |                   0 |
| 27       | Punjab                      |                   0 |
| 28       | Rajasthan                   |                  11 |
| 29       | Sikkim                      |                   0 |
| 30       | Tamil Nadu                  |                   5 |
| 31       | Telangana                   |                  12 |
| 32       | Tripura                     |                   0 |
| 33       | Uttar Pradesh               |                  26 |
| 34       | Uttarakhand                 |                   2 |
| 35       | West Bengal                 |                   1 |
| 36       | Others (J & K)              |                   1 |
| Total    |                             |                 111 |