Strong laws against child marriage and free education for children up to 18 years

As Akshaya Tritiya and Eid approach, child rights organizations in India, including the Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF), are urging for stronger laws and increased access to education to eliminate the scourge of child marriages in the country. At a national consultation on "Child marriage-free India" held by KSCF and other NGOs, participants emphasized the need for stricter implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, and proposed several measures to combat child marriages.

The organizations unanimously agreed that while the PCMA is a step in the right direction, more needs to be done to eradicate child marriages. They called for strict enforcement of existing laws, amendments to the PCMA to include more stringent punishments, mandatory reporting, and increased accountability of public servants when information about child marriages is received. The organizations also appealed to the government and all political parties to increase the age limit of free education up to 18 years, in order to promote education among children, especially girls.

Notably, on October 16, 2022, KSCF had launched the world's largest-ever grassroots campaign against child marriage. The national consultation is part of the organization's strategy towards a Child Marriage Free India campaign. Other recommendations that emerged from the consultation include strengthening institutions and knowledge and capacity building of functionaries, engaging religious leaders to discourage child marriages in their communities, and creating special funds to support education and empowerment of girls.

The organizations also highlighted the need to raise awareness about child marriage among children themselves by including the issue in school curricula and providing information about helplines on the back cover page of textbooks. They emphasized the importance of supporting girls who do not wish to marry and want to pursue education or vocational skills, and urged for institutional or other support for such girls. Additionally, the knowledge and capacity building of functionaries about the PCMA and its connection with other relevant laws, such as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, was prioritized.

Expressing concern over the serious social evil of child marriage, Rear Admiral Rahul Kumar Shrawat, AVSM, Retd., Managing Director of Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, stated, "We consider child marriage as a social evil and legal crime. We aim to reduce child marriages from 23.3% to 10% by the year 2025 and make India child marriage-free by 2030."

The launch of the Child Marriage Free India campaign by KSCF has been the result of the nationwide call by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Shri Kailash Satyarthi, to take collective action against the social evil of child marriage. The campaign aims to raise awareness, advocate for stronger laws, and promote education as a preventive measure to eliminate child marriages in India.