Lok Sabha Question No. 2766 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-17
Subject: Policy Initiative to check Child Marriages
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Pushpendra Singh Chandel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 2766

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2023

## POLICY INITIATIVE TO CHECK CHILD MARRIAGES

## 2766.   SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- a. whether the Government has taken any policy initiative to check child marriages;
- b. if so, the details of the efforts made by the Government in this regard during the last five years; and
- c. the number of cases registered for conducting marriages in violation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in the country particularly in Bundelkhand?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (b):  In  order  to  curb  child  marriages  and  to  take  punitive  actions  against  those associated  with  child  marriages,  the  Government  has  enacted  the  Prohibition  of  Child Marriage  Act,  2006  (PCMA). Section  16  of   Prohibition  of  Child  Marriage  Act  (PCMA) authorises the State Government to appoint for the whole State, or such part there of as may be specified, an officer or officers to be known as the 'Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPO)' having jurisdiction over the area or areas specified in the notification. This section also  specifies  the  functions  to  be  discharged  by  CMPOs,  which  also  include  preventing solemnisation  of  child  marriages  by  taking  such  action  as  they  may  deem  fit;  to  collect evidence for the effective prosecution of persons contravening the provisions of the Act; to advise  the  individuals  or  counsel  the  residents  of  the  locality  not  to  indulge  in  promoting, helping, aiding or allowing the solemnisation of child marriages; to create awareness about the  ill  effects  of  child  marriages;  and  to  sensitize  the  community  on  the  issue  of  child marriages. These authorities function under the respective State Governments/  UT Administrations. As such, implementation of the provisions of the Act lies with them.

Further,  the  Government  has  introduced  a  Bill  namely  'the  Prohibition  of  Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Parliament on 21.12.2021 for raising the age of marriage of women to 21 years to make it at par with the men. The proposed Bill also has provisions to make consequential amendments in the enactments, inter alia, relating to age of  marriage  of  parties,  such  as  'The  Indian  Christian  Marriage  Act,  1872',  'The  Parsi Marriage  and  Divorce  Act,  1936',  'The  Muslim  Personal  Law  (Shariat)  Application  Act,

1937', 'The Special Marriage Act, 1954', 'The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955', and 'The Foreign Marriage Act, 1969'. The Bill has since been referred to Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports for examination.

Further,  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  Seventh  Schedule  to  the Constitution of India. The responsibilities to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens, investigation and prosecution of crime against women and children including prohibition of child marriages, rest with the respective State Governments. The State Governments are competent to deal with such offenses under the extant provisions of laws.

Nevertheless,  the  Central  Government  also  undertakes  awareness  drives,  media  campaigns and outreach programs and issues advisories to the States/ UTs from time to time to highlight evil  effects  of  this  practice.  Further,  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development implements the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, wherein creation of awareness on matters pertaining to gender equality and discouraging child marriage is an important focus area.  The  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  also  undertakes awareness programs and consultations with stakeholders from time to time in this regard. In addition,  Government  of  India  has  introduced  CHILDLINE  with  short  code  1098,  a  24X7 telephone  emergency  outreach  service  for  children  in  crisis  which  responds  with  suitable interventions  to  call  for  any  form  of  assistance  which  a  child  requires,  including  for prevention of child marriages in coordination with police, CMPOs, District Child Protection Units etc.

(c):  The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes the data on the number of cases of child marriage registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006 in its publication 'Crime in India'. The said report is available upto the year 2021. As per information available with NCRB, the number of cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 during 2019, 2020 and 2021 are 523, 785 and 1050 respectively including Uttar Pradesh. The region-wise data is not maintained by NCRB.  Higher reporting  of  cases  does  not  necessarily  reflect  increase  in  the  number  of cases of child marriages, but it may be because of increased awareness among citizens to report such incidents due to initiatives by the Government and better enforcement of law by States/ UTs.

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