Marriageable Age for Boys and
Girls
The
Government of India enacted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006,
prohibiting the solemnisation of child marriages and
for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. This Act came into force
with effect from 1st November 2007. PCMA States
that:
i. To make a child go through a marriage is an offence.
ii. Child under this law is defined as 18 years in the case of girls and
21 years in the case of boys.
The age of
marriage as prescribed in the PCMA 2006 is universally applicable to all
communities across India except Jammu and Kashmir.
For
effective implementation of the Act, State Governments have been requested from
time to time to notify rules under PCMA 2006. In addition, following steps have
been taken to address the issue of Child Marriage:
i. National Commission for Women (NCW) has requested the State Chief
Ministers to sensitize and gear up the
concerned machinery of the State Governments against those involved in the
incidence of child marriage.
ii. Every
year, State Governments are requested to take special initiative to delay
marriage on Akha
Teej
the traditional day for such marriages, by coordinated efforts.
iii. The
Government of India launched SABLA, a Scheme for empowering adolescent girls, in
200 districts of the country on 19th November 2010. The Scheme aims
at empowering adolescent girls (11-18 years) by improving their nutritional and
health status and upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills and
vocational skills etc. and building awareness on various issues. They are also
sensitized towards the importance of marriage at the right age. By empowering adolescent girls, the Scheme
addresses the issue of child marriage.
iv. Workshops, seminars and legal awareness camps are organized in
various States by the Ministry and its autonomous institutions to spread
awareness and bring attitudinal changes to prevent child
marriage.
This
was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women
and Child Development, in a written reply to the Rajya
Sabha today. (09.05.2013)
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