Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, revealed that one in five girls in India is married before the legal age of 18, despite existing laws prohibiting the practice. Speaking at the launch of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage-Free India), a new campaign by her ministry, she called child marriage a grave violation of human rights and a criminal offense.

The minister highlighted that over 2,00,000 child marriages were prevented last year but stressed that legal measures like the Prevention of Child Marriage Act alone are insufficient. “We need to focus on raising awareness to tackle this inhuman practice,” she said.

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The campaign will prioritize seven high-burden states—West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh—and nearly 300 districts with child marriage rates above the national average. The ultimate goal is to bring the rates down to below 5% by 2029.

To support these efforts, the minister also launched the Child Marriage-Free Bharat portal, an online platform for raising awareness, reporting cases, and tracking progress. She emphasized that entrenched patriarchal norms remain a barrier but credited initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao for shifting societal attitudes. “With consistent efforts, we can create an enabling environment for our girls,” she concluded.