Lok Sabha Question No. 2453 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Implementation and Assesment of Central Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2453 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026

## IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT OF CENTRAL SCHEMES

## 2453. SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

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

- (a) whether any study is available with the Government regarding the current status of child marriage and sex ratio in Bihar including the Seemanchal region (Boderland) based on data obtained from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) and other reliable sources, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether these social evils are still present at concerning levels in the said areas;
- (c) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details of assessment conducted by the Government regarding the implementation and efficacy of central schemes such as 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' in addressing these challenges; and
- (e) the details of the special measures being taken to enhance the reach and impact of the said schemes particularly in sensitive areas like Seemanchal region?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (e): 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 2023 -Crime Head Wise and State and  UT-wise. As per information available with NCRB, the number of cases registered under PCMA in the State of Bihar during the year 2023 is 13.

The Government of India has enacted 'The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006' (PCMA) to prevent and curb child marriages and to take punitive action against those associated with the solemnisation of child marriages. Section 16 of the 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 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.  All  these  authorities  function  under  the  direct administrative control and supervision of respective State Governments and UT Administrations.

Further, to strengthen implementation of the Act and accelerate progress towards elimination of child marriage, the Government launched a national campaign 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat on 27th November 2024, with the objective of making India child-marriage-free. It is one of the most important imperatives to  promote education,  skilling,  enterprise  and  entrepreneurship among  girls  and  women  to  realise  the  vision  of  a  'Viksit  Bharat'  through  'whole  of government' and 'whole of society' approach. The campaign aims to  create  awareness  for prevention  of  child  marriage,  enhance  involvement  of  parents,  families,  and  communities, strengthen the role and capacity of CMPOs, encourage timely reporting of child marriage cases, and identify adolescent girls who are school dropouts or at risk of child marriage to ensure their education, skilling, and empowerment.

To commemorate the success of the campaign and further intensify efforts, a 100 Days Special Campaign under Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat was launched on 4th December 2025 to mobilise all stakeholders in a structured and time-bound manner. The 100 Days Special Campaign focuses on  targeted  outreach  to  institutions,  community  leaders  and  service  provider,  along  with mandatory uploading of details of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) on the BVMB Portal.

The campaign follows a spell-wise thematic implementation plan. Spell -I  (27th November, 2025  to  31st  December,  2025)  focuses  on  sensitisation  activities  in  schools,  colleges  and universities through debates, essay competitions and pledge ceremonies. Spell -II (1st January, 2026 to 31st January, 2026) focuses on engagement with religious institutions and marriagerelated  service  providers,  including  temples,  mosques,  caterers,  tent  houses  and  DJs,  to discourage  child  marriage  and  display  IEC  materials.  Spell -III  (1st  February,  2026  to  8th March, 2026) focuses on mobilisation of Gram Panchayats and Municipal Wards for passing resolutions declaring their jurisdictions as child-marriage-free.

A dedicated digital platform, the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat portal (https://stopchildmarriage.wcd.gov.in), facilitates reporting of child marriage incidents, dissemination  of  information,  and  registration  of  pledges.  Citizens,  institutions,  and  public representatives can take the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat pledge on the dedicated portal as well as through  the  MyGov  portal,  promoting  wide  participation.  As  on  11.02.2026,  awareness programmes have reached over 7.75 crore citizens, and more than 31.75 lakh pledges against child marriage have been registered on the portal, reflecting strong community engagement and active participation across the country. The BVMB portal serves as a centralised repository of more than 61,900 CMPOs across States and Union Territories with 669 number of CMPOs in  the  State  of  Bihar  including  9  districts  in  the  Seemanchal  region  (Araria,  Katihar, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Paschim Champaran, Purbi Champaran, Purnia, Sitamarhi and   Supaul).  This  provides  citizens  with  an  efficient  reporting  mechanism,  where  early reporting enables timely intervention to prevent child marriages.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 to help address Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum.  BBBP  has  transformed  from  a  policy  initiative  into  a  national  movement  by mobilizing various stakeholders, including government agencies, communities, media, civil society and the public at large. This movement aims not only to address immediate concerns related to sex ratio and gender-based discrimination but also to foster a cultural shift towards valuing the girl child and ensuring her rights and opportunities. The implementation of the scheme lies with the State Government and UT administration. The district wise Sex Ratio at Birth for the State of Bihar of the Seemanchal region is at Annexure.

The BBBP scheme focuses on creating mindset and behavioural changes towards the girl child by informing, influencing, motivating, engaging, and empowering various stakeholders. To address this, Ministry has developed and circulated to all States and UTs, an operational manual which inter-alia includes a thematic calendar for suggested convergence activities at district level with month wise specific themes for holistic development of the Girl Child and to ensure year-round engagement of girls, their families and communities.

NITI Aayog has conducted an evaluation of the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development for Financial Years 2019 to 2024. The study found that the SAMBAL vertical of Mission  Shakti  including  BBBP  is  highly  relevant  and  effectively  addresses  key  gender challenges through integrated, data-driven services.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2453  FOR  ANSWER  ON  13.02.2026  REGARDING 'IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT OF CENTRAL SCHEMES'

## Sex Ratio at birth in the 9 districts of Seemanchal region of Bihar

|   S.No | District           |   2024-25 |
|--------|--------------------|-----------|
|      1 | ARARIA             |       956 |
|      2 | KATIHAR            |       946 |
|      3 | KISHANGANJ         |       929 |
|      4 | MADHUBANI          |       803 |
|      5 | PASHCHIM CHAMPARAN |       866 |
|      6 | PURBI CHAMPARAN    |       891 |
|      7 | PURNIA             |       947 |
|      8 | SITAMARHI          |       891 |
|      9 | SUPAUL             |       939 |

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