Lok Sabha Question No. 636 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Prohibition of Child Marriage
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 636

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2022

## PROHIBITION OF CHILD MARRIAGE

## 636.    SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:

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

- (a) whether many stakeholders, including NGOs and religious bodies had expressed reservation about the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether a global steering Committee visited India to witness State interventions to reduce the incidents of child marriages and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is also true that COVID-19 pandemic has led to increase in the number of child marriages in the country; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):   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  Bill  has  been referred  to  the  Parliamentary  Standing  Committee  on  Education,  Women,  Children, Youth and Sports(EWCYS) for examination.

So far as global steering Committee visit to India to witness State interventions to reduce the incidents  of  child  marriages  is  concerned,  the  Ministry  of Women  &  Child Development is not aware of the status and mandate of this Committee.

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 the report, the number of cases of child marriages registered  during 2019, 2020 and 2021 are 523, 785 and 1050 respectively.

'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.

Section  16  of   Prohibition  of  Child  Marriage  Act  (PCMA)  authorises  the  State Government to appoint for the whole State, or such part thereof 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.

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 'Mission Shakti', an umbrella scheme for safety, security and empowerment of women. Under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)' component of 'Sambal' sub-scheme  of 'Mission Shakti', awareness generation 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  is  running  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.

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