NCRB data depicts six-fold rise in child marriage cases in India
In 2023, 6,038 cases were filed under the act, compared to 1,002 cases in 2022 and 1,050 cases in 2021, indicating a sharp rise.
In 2023, 6,038 cases were filed under the act, compared to 1,002 cases in 2022 and 1,050 cases in 2021, indicating a sharp rise.
In 2023, 6,038 cases were filed under the act, compared to 1,002 cases in 2022 and 1,050 cases in 2021, indicating a sharp rise.
New Delhi: The number of cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 2023 is six times the figure from the previous year, according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
According to the data, 90 per cent of the total cases can be attributed to Assam alone. The NCRB data also revealed that 16,737 girls and 129 boys were kidnapped or abducted "for marriage" in 2023.
In 2023, 6,038 cases were filed under the act, compared to 1,002 cases in 2022 and 1,050 cases in 2021, indicating a sharp rise. Among these, 5,267 cases were reported in Assam alone, placing it at the top of the list.
Other states which showed higher figures included Tamil Nadu (174), Karnataka (145) and West Bengal (118). Meanwhile, several states and Union Territories, such as Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep, reported no cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act during the year.
The act, enacted in 2006, prohibits marriage of girls below the age of 18 and boys below 21, and criminalises those who organise, perform or facilitate such marriages.