New Delhi

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Thursday launched a ‘100-day Intensive Awareness Campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat’, warning that child marriages rob girls of their childhood and push them into early maternity and “unimaginable suffering.” She urged states, community leaders, and civil society groups to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to the practice.

Highlighting India’s legal progress from the Sarda Act, 1929, to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the minister noted that harmful social norms persist despite stronger laws. She cited government initiatives such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, pointing to improved sex ratios and increased school enrolment among girls.

Civil society representatives shared success stories of interventions, including school programs, door-to-door campaigns, and community counselling that prevented dozens of child marriages in high-risk districts. Secretary of the Ministry, Anil Malik, stressed that legal provisions alone cannot end child marriage and called for public awareness, reporting, and collective action.

The campaign engages more than 38,000 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) across the country, supported by a national portal available in 22 languages. Over 22 lakh people interacted with the portal last year, and more than 50,000 pledged to prevent child marriage.

The campaign also highlights youth champions who have inspired change, including survivors and community activists from Bihar, Odisha, and Tripura. Annapurna Devi noted Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh as a model, with 75 panchayats reporting no child marriages for two consecutive years.

Running until March 8, the campaign includes school competitions, community drives, faith leader engagement, and mobilization of local governing bodies to declare areas child-marriage-free. Officials said the initiative follows a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, coordinated with ministries including Health, Education, Panchayati Raj, and Rural Development.

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The campaign will conclude ceremonially on International Women’s Day 2026, though efforts to end child marriage will continue beyond that date.