Relevance: GS-I (Indian Society), GS-II (Governance, Social Justice) • Source: NFHS-5, Ministry of Women and Child Development

Key Takeaways

  • Decline in child marriage has slowed despite laws.
  • Education and economic empowerment matter more than law alone.
  • Ending child marriage is central to inclusive development.

Context

Child marriage, though legally prohibited, continues to affect millions in India, limiting girls’ education, health, and agency. While India has reduced prevalence over two decades, progress has slowed, raising concerns about achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 (elimination by 2030).

Current Status: Key Facts

  • Prevalence declined from 26.8% (NFHS-3, 2005–06) to 23.3% (NFHS-4, 2015–16), but decline has stagnated.
  • Around 40% of women aged 20–24 were married before 18 (NFHS-5).
  • Regional variation remains stark:
    • High burden: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand
    • Low burden: Kerala, Himachal Pradesh
  • India still accounts for a large share of global child marriages due to population size.

Why Child Marriage Persists

  • Poverty and economic insecurity
  • Low female education and school dropouts
  • Patriarchal social norms and control over women’s choices
  • Concerns over safety and honour
  • Weak enforcement and low marriage registration

Child marriage is closely linked to early pregnancy, maternal mortality, malnutrition, and intergenerational poverty.

Legal and Policy Framework

  • Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: Declares child marriage illegal, but not automatically void.
  • Juvenile Justice Act, 2015: Criminalises child marriage in aggravated circumstances.
  • Policy debate on raising the legal age of marriage for women to 21 to improve health, education, and labour participation.
  • Concerns: risk of criminalising poverty, pushing marriages underground without social support.

What Works: Evidence-Based Interventions

  • Secondary education for girls (strongest protective factor)
  • Conditional cash transfers and scholarships
  • Skill development and livelihood opportunities
  • Community engagement to shift social norms
  • Effective birth and marriage registration

Way Forward

  • Prioritise implementation of existing laws over only legal amendments
  • Target high-burden districts with data-driven interventions
  • Integrate education, nutrition, and livelihood schemes
  • Combine legal reform with social awareness and welfare support

Eliminating child marriage requires moving beyond legal fixes to a holistic strategy of education, empowerment, and social transformation.

UPSC Value Box

Why it matters:

  • Child marriage undermines gender equality, human capital formation, and demographic dividend.

Key Challenge & Reform:

  • Challenge: Legal prohibition without social change has limited impact.
  • Reform: Focus on girls’ education, economic security, and community-led norm change.

Q. “Despite legal prohibition, child marriage persists in India. Examine the causes and suggest a comprehensive strategy to eliminate it.”

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