India witnesses sharp decline in child marriages: A promising step forward

Sabir Nishat

(sabirnishat554@gmail.com)

India has reported a significant decline in child marriages, marking a major milestone in its fight against one of the most deep-rooted social malaises affecting children, especially girls. According to a new survey released by Just Rights for Children (JRC), a network of over 250 NGOs working across the country for child protection, child marriage rates among girls dropped by an impressive 69% and among boys by 72% between April 2022 and March 2025.

The report, titled 'Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India', was launched last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The survey was conducted across five representative states - Assam, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Karnataka - and highlights the collective success of government bodies, civil society organizations, and local communities.

Among the five surveyed states, Assam recorded the sharpest decline in child marriages among girls, with an 84% reduction. Maharashtra and Bihar followed with a 70% drop each, Rajasthan reported a 66% decline, and Karnataka 55%. While the overall numbers in the five are encouraging, they also highlight interstate disparities, especially in terms of school attendance and awareness levels.

Assam shows the way.

Assam has emerged as a national frontrunner in the fight against child marriage, with a staggering 84% decline in the practice among minor girls over the past three years, according to the JRC September 2025 Report. This dramatic progress is the result of a sweeping, multi-pronged campaign led by the state government, combining legal enforcement, policy reform, financial incentives, and grassroots outreach.

The data reflects the impact of the state's aggressive intervention that began in earnest in February 2023 and offers a model that other states may look to replicate in their own efforts to end child marriage.

The crackdown started following 'alarming' results of the Union Health Ministry's National Family Health Survey of 2019-20, which showed that Assam has an underage pregnancy rate of 11.7% - much higher than the national average of 6.8%.

Law enforcement: Mass arrests send a strong message.

In one of the most hardline responses to child marriage seen in India, Assam has conducted multiple statewide crackdowns since February 2023, arresting over 5,000 individuals, including men who married underage girls, religious leaders such as kazis, and even family members complicit in the practice.

The JRC cited Assam's roaring success in curbing child marriage due to the filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) in the wake of awareness created among the public at large against the scourge and mass arrests by law enforcement agencies.

The state has taken a legal bifurcated approach based on the age of the girl. Marriages involving girls under 14 years of age are prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, treating the act as statutory rape.

Marriages involving girls aged 14 to 18 are dealt with under the Prohibition of Child Marriage (PCM) Act, with appropriate legal consequences.

Legislative reforms: Plugging loopholes

In a significant legislative move, the government repealed the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, in February 2024. The Act had allowed marriage registrations by non-governmental religious figures, which often enabled underage marriages to go unnoticed.

The repeal paves the way for compulsory, government-regulated marriage registration, ensuring that age verification becomes a non-negotiable part of the process.

Education & Empowerment: Financial aid for girls

Another key pillar of the campaign is the Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina Scheme, launched in 2024, which offers financial support to encourage girls to continue their education and delay marriage.

Depending on their level of education, unmarried female students receive monthly stipends ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500, continuing until they marry or complete their education. Girls pursuing postgraduate studies are eligible for support even after marriage.

By linking education with financial independence, the scheme aims to break the cycle of early marriage and poverty, offering girls a tangible reason to stay in school.

An estimated Rs.1,500 crore has been earmarked for five years to provide incentives to around 10 lakh girls.

Awareness & Community Engagement:

The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) has been instrumental in building public awareness around the issue. It has trained local officials, police, and community leaders to identify and intervene in potential child marriage cases.

In addition, the state has designated village-level officials such as Gaon Panchayat Secretaries as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, making them directly responsible for monitoring and reporting such cases.

Partnerships with NGOs and civil society groups have further strengthened community participation. Local engagement has proven vital, with increased case reporting and support from within communities, reflecting a paradigm shift in public mindset.

A model for other states to emulate:

The combination of legal force, policy reform, educational support, and community-level action has allowed Assam to make what child rights activists are calling 'historic progress' in curbing child marriage.

Recognising Assam's avowed mission in curbing child marriage, JRC announced the 'Champions of Change' Award for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

While challenges remain, especially in rural and marginalised communities, Assam's approach offers valuable lessons for other states to emulate. As the rest of India intensifies efforts toward a child marriage-free future, Assam's integrated strategy may serve as a blueprint - proving that bold action, coupled with public support and education, can bring lasting change.

Assam has set a clear goal of zero child marriage by 2026.

Enforcement & Awareness: A winning combination

While the survey identified FIRs and police arrests as the most effective deterrents against child marriage, it also credited coordinated action by central and state governments, along with grassroots efforts by NGOs and community leaders.

One striking statistic from the report shows just how far India has come: while three children were being married off every minute during 2019-21, only three such cases were reported in an entire day during the survey period.

It is heartening to know that almost one hundred per cent of the respondents had seen or heard of the government's Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, demonstrating how widespread the awareness has been.

The reasons behind child marriage remain complex, with poverty (91%) and concerns over girls' safety (44%) being the most cited causes. Societal norms and traditions also continue to play a major role in perpetuating the practice.

Karnataka's community-centric model

Unlike other states, Karnataka leaned more on helplines and Child Welfare Committees than police stations to tackle child marriage. This approach, rooted in community-based reporting and response systems, has helped build trust and ensured quicker interventions.

The state's decision to empower Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) to register marriages has proved pivotal. In 2021 alone, PDOs prevented nearly 2,000 child marriages, and their role in spreading awareness has been widely acknowledged. Karnataka has also taken the bold step of criminalising child betrothal, aligning itself with the broader national vision of a child marriage-free India.

Looking ahead

Decades of research have shown that child marriage is a major factor behind many of the social challenges holding back women's rights in India. It fuels high birth rates, deepens poverty and malnutrition, and contributes to widespread illiteracy and infant mortality. Rural women, in particular, face lower life expectancy as a result of these interlinked issues.

It is against this backdrop that, while the decline in child marriages is undoubtedly a positive trend, experts warn against complacency. The report recommends compulsory marriage registration as a key next step and emphasises the importance of targeted outreach initiatives, especially in states lagging behind like Bihar, where school attendance for girls remains alarmingly low.

India's success so far demonstrates that strong policy frameworks, combined with grassroots mobilisation and awareness campaigns, can bring about meaningful change. As the country continues to move forward, it must build on these gains with more inclusive, data-driven, and locally tailored strategies.

The sharp drop in numbers is a testament to what is possible when all sections of society work together. The challenge now is to sustain the momentum and ensure that every girl child in India grows up free from the threat of early marriage that robs her future.