Invitation card printers asked to prevent child marriages

In a bid to check child marriage in the state, the Madhya Pradesh government has asked printing press owners to mention on wedding card invitations that the couple getting married is of marriageable age, after verifying it.
Madhya Pradesh Women's Empowerment Commissioner Kalpana Shrivastava issued the directive to divisional commissioner and officers in this regard on March 24.
Shrivastava has also directed government officials to ask caterers, cooks, bands, priests as well as others to verify the ages of the bride and the groom before rendering their services.
Women's Empowerment Department Deputy Director Manjula Tiwari told PTI that printing press owners would be prosecuted if they don't abide by the Commissioner's order.

However, activist Chinmashr Mishra described the commissioner's directive as "whimsical", saying that the government is shrugging off its responsibility of stopping child marriage and passing the buck on to the people.
Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, the marriageable age of girls and boys is 18 and 21 respectively.
Weddings conducted below these ages invite two years' rigorous imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh or both.