The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years, the same as men, more than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the plan during his Independence Day address in 2020.
The government plans to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006, as well as the Special Marriage Act and personal laws like the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.
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The clearance is based on recommendations made by the Centre’s task force, led by Jaya Jaitly, to Niti Aayog in December 2020.
The task force was formed to look into “matters pertaining to the age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate), improvement of nutritional levels, and related issues.” The Total Fertility Rate is decreasing, and the population is under control, according to recent data from the NFHS 5 (National Family Health Survey)
According to data from the National Family Health Survey 5, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell below the replacement level of 2.1 for the first time, indicating that a population explosion in the coming years is unlikely. Child marriage has also decreased slightly from 27% in 2015-16 to 23% in 2019-21, according to the data.
The task force, which was established by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in June 2020, included Dr. V K Paul of Niti Aayog, as well as Secretaries of the WCD, Health, and Education Ministries, as well as Secretaries of the Legislative Department.
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“We’ve received feedback from 16 universities and have partnered with over 15 non-governmental organisations to reach out to young people, particularly in rural and marginalised communities, such as in Rajasthan’s districts where child marriage is common.” Feedback was collected from people of all religions and from both urban and rural areas.” Jaya Jaitly, head of task force stated.
It has been suggested that a comprehensive public awareness campaign be devised in order to promote social acceptance of the decision. Sex education should also be formalised and included in the school curriculum, according to the committee.
The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 stipulates that the bride must be 18 years old and the groom must be 21 years old. Women’s marriage age was raised from 15 to 18 in 1978, and now, with a slight push from 18 to 21, women can pursue higher education and careers while also taking care of their health needs
Women’s education in polytechnic institutes, as well as skills and business training and livelihood enhancement, have all been suggested as ways to ensure that the marriageable age is raised.