Govt holds national consultations to prevent child marriage

Speaking in her inaugural address at the national consultations to prevent child marriage conducted by Women and Child Development(WCD), Secretary Neela Gangadharan today said that the social evil was seriously impeding development of girls.

"Child marriages seriously impede the development of the children, although it impacts the girl child with a stronger incidence and intensity. It hampers the physical, mental, emotional and psychological development of girls," she said.

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) findings of the Registrar General of India, the mean age for marriage of girls in the country has improved from 19.3 years in 1990 to 21.0 years in 2010.

She, however, also pointed that as per the National Family Health Survey, 2005-06, 47.3 percent of all young women aged 20-24 are married by age 18, while 16 per cent of men of age 20-49 are married by age 18 and 28 percent by age 20.

"The incidence of child marriage in rural areas is alarming as it stands at 52 pe rcent when compared to urban average of 28 percent. These numbers are shown to be particularly high in states such as West Bengal, Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand," Gangadharan said. (MORE)