Karnataka records 55% drop in child marriages among girls, 88% among boys: Study
Bengaluru: Karnataka has recorded one of the most sharpest declines in child marriages in the country, with a 55% drop in cases involving girls and an 88% decline among boys over the past three years, according to a new study cited by The Hindu.
The report titled "Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India", was released by Just Rights for Children (JRC), a coalition of over 250 non-governmental organisations. It attributes the sharp decline to awareness campaigns, stronger legal deterrence, and community-level interventions that created trust in reporting mechanisms.
The study, which spanned 757 villages across five states, noted a 69% reduction in child marriages among girls and a 72% drop among boys in India. Assam registered the steepest fall among girls at 84%, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70% each), and Rajasthan (66%).
Among the 92% of respondents surveyed, awareness campaigns were identified as the most effective tool in combating child marriage, followed by legal action such as FIRs and arrests (50%).
Notably, Karnataka’s success stands out for its reliance on community-based systems rather than law enforcement as the primary channel for reporting child marriages. According to the report, 75% of cases in the state were reported through helplines, and 53% through Child Welfare Committees, compared to just 40% through police stations.
This shift, the report notes, reflects a “critical link between trust in community-based systems and action against child marriage,” highlighting the importance of grassroots engagement.
A major policy initiative credited with the decline is the state government's decision to empower Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) to register marriages. Their accessibility in villages allowed PDOs to both raise awareness and take preventive action—stopping nearly 2,000 child marriages in 2021 alone, the report noted.
Furthermore, Karnataka became the first state in India to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act to make even engagements involving minors a punishable offence.
Building on such legislative progress, the report recommends further measures including stricter enforcement of the law, mandatory registration of all marriages, and broader dissemination of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat portal. Additionally, it recommends the designation of a National Day Against Child Marriage to help mobilise public support and drive collective action towards achieving a child marriage-free India by 2030.
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FM proposes to reduce TCS rates for education, medical purposes
New Delhi: Presenting the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced relief measures aimed at easing the financial burden on families and streamlining the tax framework.
She proposed reducing the Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on foreign remittances for education and medical purposes from 5 per cent to 2 per cent, a move expected to benefit students studying abroad and those seeking overseas medical treatment.
The finance minister also announced that the new Income Tax Act will come into effect from April 1, 2026, marking a major overhaul of the country’s direct tax system.
