SC asks Centre’s response on NGO guidelines

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to respond within two weeks whether they accept or decline guidelines submitted by NGO Social Action Forum (SAF) to prevent child marriages in the country.

SAF had submitted guidelines that included pro-active as well as preventive step, and rehabilitation for the concerned victims.

According to a 2016 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report 47 per cent of women between the ages of 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18. Globally, more than one third of the world’s child brides are Indian.

Though the UNICEF concluded that the trend of child marriage, especially below the age of 15, has been declining globally, the report had serious implications for India.

India ranks 10th in the world with respect to child marriages.

2011 CENSUS DATA

78.5 lakh girls (2.3 per cent of all women or girls who were ever married or were married in 2011) were married before the age of 10. The Census data also show that 91 per cent of all married women were married by the age of 25 years.