NEWS –  The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) conducted a study across all districts in India. Reported child marriage cases decreased from 1,050 in 2021 to 1,002 in 2022.

HIGHLIGHTS

States with Highest Child Marriages

• Karnataka: Highest with 215 cases.
• Assam: Second highest with 163 cases.
• Tamil Nadu: Third with 155 cases.
• West Bengal: Reported 121 cases.

District-Level Monitoring

• Out of 784 districts, only 596 held meetings on child marriages.
• Many districts failed to involve key stakeholders like gram pradhans, priests, and service providers.

Measures Taken

• NCPCR urged states and UTs to compile school-wise data of dropouts and children missing school, as per the Child Labour Amendment Rules, 2017.
• Awareness meetings were recommended with officers, police, and Anganwadi workers.

Review of Activities

• NCPCR conducted 30 virtual meetings with 784 districts in April 2024.
• Data from 596 districts showed 2,92,525 meetings were held across 2,58,037 villages or blocks.

Key Findings

• Mapping of school dropouts and absentee children was not conducted in many districts.
• The overall decline in child marriages reflects growing awareness but indicates further efforts are needed to reduce them.