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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maoist carrying bounty of Rs 15 lakh among four killed in gunfight with security forces in J’khand
Hazaribag (PTI): Four Maoists, including one carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Friday, police officials said.
The encounter took place in the Khapia forest area within the Keredari police station limits, following a tip-off.
"Four Maoists were killed in a gunfight with joint forces in 'Operation KotiNeer'. The Maoists killed have been identified as regional committee member Sahdeo Maho, carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh, Ranjit Ganjhu, Zonal committee member, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh," IG, CRPF, Saket Kumar Singh told mediapersons.
The remaining two are Area Commander Budhan Karmali, carrying a reward of Rs one lakh and sub-zonal committee member Natasha, a woman who hailed from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.
SDPO of Barkagaon, Pawan Kumar, said that no security personnel were injured in the operation.
The Maoists killed were wanted in about 80 cases.
With the encounter, only 57 Maoists are left in the state, the IG said.
A number of arms were also recovered during the operation including two AK 47 and one INSAS rifles.
The development comes close on the heels of a fierce exchange of fire between a Maoist squad headed by Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore, and police personnel on April 15 in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum. Four security personnel were injured in the encounter.
The Centre has already informed the state governments that there are no Naxal violence-affected districts in the country, more than five decades since Left Wing Extremism (LWE) originated in India.
The declaration followed a high-level security review held earlier this month by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the mandated 'National Policy and Action Plan to Address Left Wing Extremism' formulated in 2015.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament on March 30 that India was free from Maoists.
_vb_05.jpeg)
