Why in the News?
The Government of India has intensified efforts to eliminate child marriage through the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) campaign, with targets to reduce prevalence by 10 percent by 2026 and make India child marriage free by 2030 in line with SDG 5.3.
What is Child Marriage
- Any marital union where
- Female is below 18 years, or
- Male is below 21 years
- Considered a violation of human rights and a barrier to health, education, and gender equality
Historical Evolution of Laws in India
- Reform movement led by Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Jyotirao Phule
- Age of Consent Act, 1891: First legal intervention against early marriage
- Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 (Sarda Act): Minimum age fixed at 14 for girls and 18 for boys
- Amendments of 1948 and 1978: Raised age to 18 for girls and 21 for boys
- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006: Shift from restraint to prohibition, protection, and punishment
Current Legal Framework
- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006
- Child marriages are voidable
- Void if involving force, trafficking, or deceit
- Provides for Child Marriage Prohibition Officers
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
- Sexual relations with a wife below 18 constitute rape
- POCSO Act 2012
- Sexual activity within child marriage treated as aggravated penetrative sexual assault
Current Trends and Data
- NFHS 5 (2019 to 21): 23 percent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before 18
- Significant decline compared to earlier decades but still widespread
- High prevalence regions: West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Central and Eastern India.
Prelims Pointers
- Child marriage is a criminal offence
- PCMA 2006 focuses on prevention and protection
- POCSO overrides personal laws
- Elimination target aligned with SDG 5.3
| [2020] In the context of Indian history, the Rakhmabai case of 1884 revolved around:
1. women’s right to gain education 2. age of consent 3. restitution of conjugal rights Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
