Context:

Recently, the Union Ministry for Women and Child Development launched a national campaign “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat”.

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign

Its aims to make India child marriage-free and promote education, skilling, enterprise, and entrepreneurship among girls and women to achieve the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

It is inspired by the success of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)’.

• BBBP is a flagship scheme launched in 2015 that has been instrumental in bringing a positive shift in the behaviour and attitude in the society towards valuing the girl child.

The event for the campaign also witnessed the unveiling of the 'Child Marriage Free Bharat' portal, a dedicated online platform to support the campaign's mission.

The objective of the Campaign

• Monitoring the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign: Advocate for legislative changes that establish 18 as the minimum age of marriage without exceptions, ensuring legal protections for children.
• Ensure effective monitoring of CMPOs appointed: Strengthen the supervision and evaluation of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) to prevent child marriages and supporting affected individuals.
• Enhance public access to details of CMPOs: Increase transparency and accessibility by making comprehensive information about CMPOs available to the public.
• Easier Reporting child marriage Cases: Simplify the process of reporting child marriage cases by implementing user-friendly mechanisms that encourage victims and witnesses to come forward and seek justice.
• Awareness Generation against child marriage: Conduct extensive awareness campaigns to educate communities about the adverse effects of child marriage and to promote the importance of protecting children’s rights.

India on Child Marriage

• As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) about 23.3% of women aged 20-24 years were married before the age 18 years, and 17.7% of men aged 25-29 years were married before the age 21 years. 
• NFHS-5 also suggest the prevalence of child marriage has reduced by half from 47% (2006) to 23.3% (2019-21).

Legal intervention on child marriage:

• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 came into force on 1st November 2007 to prohibit child marriages, not just restrain them. 
• The Act prohibits the solemnization of child marriages where a female has not completed 18 years of age, and a male has not completed 21 years of age.
• The Act was enacted to address the shortcomings of the earlier Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929.