Assam surpasses national average in decline in child marriages: Report
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Guwahati (PTI): Assam has recorded a sharp decline in the number of child marriages, surpassing the national average, as per a report of a survey carried out by a non-governmental organisation in five states.
Legal deterrence, including police complaints and arrests, was identified as among the most effective tools in eliminating child marriage, the report based on the period April 2022 to March 2025 said.
The report, 'Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India', released recently at a side event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was prepared by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (C-LAB), an initiative of NGO Just Rights for Children (JRC) partner India Child Protection.
The report said Assam is leading the nation with the steepest decline in child marriage, recording an 84 per cent drop in cases among girls and a 91 per cent reduction among boys in the last three years.
It said that at the national level, child marriages declined by 69 per cent among girls and 72 per cent among boys.
In terms of decline in child marriages among girls in the five surveyed states, Assam is followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70 per cent each), Rajasthan (66 per cent), and Karnataka (55 per cent).
The study attributed Assam's progress to the state government's 'zero tolerance' approach, strict legal action and coordinated efforts with the central government and civil society organisations over the past three years.
Recognising the state's success, JRC also announced the 'Champions of Change' Award for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
JRC is one of the largest networks with over 250 NGOs working for child protection, and in Assam alone, its eight NGO partners are working in 30 of the state's 35 districts.
The findings revealed that while all respondents identified awareness campaigns as the most effective tool in reducing child marriages, 76 per cent cited prosecution through FIRs and arrests as the second most important factor behind Assam's sharp decline.
However, knowledge of specialised mechanisms such as the child welfare committee and helplines remained low at 31 and 22 per cent, respectively.
The report also credited government schemes for this decline in child marriages.
"The Assam government has also initiated measures to counter child marriage, including the Nijut Moina 2.0 scheme, which provides financial support to girls pursuing education and strengthens incentives to delay marriage," the report said.
It said that 99 per cent of the respondents in Assam reported being aware of the child marriage laws, and credited television and NGOs as the top sources of their legal information at 92 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively.
Also, the report revealed an almost universal awareness (99 per cent) of the central government's 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign launched in 2024.
"Around 88 per cent of the respondents identified NGOs as the lead facilitator of the campaign and pledges against child marriage," the report said.
A total of 95 per cent of respondents also reported having taken the pledge against child marriage during the campaign in the state.
Key recommendations of the report included strict enforcement of child marriage laws, better reporting mechanisms, compulsory marriage registration and village-level awareness of the portal of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat for the elimination of the social menace by 2030.
The report also recommended designating a national day against child marriage.
The report was based on field data from 757 villages from five states selected zone-wise and adopted the Multistage Stratified Random Sampling.
In Assam, 150 villages were surveyed and frontline service providers such as ASHA, Anganwadi workers, school teachers, auxiliary nurse midwives, Panchayat Raj Institution members, etc., were engaged.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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