'People don't believe that a 15-year-old girl subjected to sexual intercourse within a marriage is a victim of rape.'
Experts and global leaders have called on the United Nations to declare a dedicated 'World Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage', highlighting that a child marriage still occurs every three seconds globally.
Over 2019 to 2023 West Bengal and Jharkhand saw the share of girl child marriages in total weddings rise.
The Bihar government has formed a state-level task force to monitor actions taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state. Bihar has the second-highest rate of child marriage in India, with 40.8% of women getting married before turning 18. The government is implementing a multipronged strategy to combat child marriage, including stricter enforcement of the law, empowering girls through education, and raising awareness.
The apex court termed the prevalence of "social evil" of child marriage as "sobering" and passed a slew of directions to the Centre, states, district administrations, panchayats and the judiciary to eradicate the malaise.
The Supreme Court on Friday held that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act cannot be stunted by personal laws and that marriages involving children violate the free will to have a life partner of choice.
Under the title of "legal enforcement", states and Union Territories were directed to appoint officers solely responsible for discharging the functions of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers at the district level.
Rediff Labs analyzed the data on district wise child marriages in India by Census of India 2011.
The court also rapped the Assam government for slapping stringent laws like the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) and rape charges on child marriage accused.
At least 2,441 people have been arrested in the state till Monday in the continuing operation against child marriage, launched on February 3.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim faces serious allegations from ex-wife Sannia Ashfaq after announcing his marriage to influencer Nyla Raja, triggering a public war of words on social media.
A Delhi court has requested further information from the investigating officer in the child custody case involving Viktoriaa Basu, a Russian woman accused of illegally leaving India with her child.
"There was a knock on the door around 2 am on Thursday. We opened the door and found policemen outside. They took away my husband," Nimee told PTI in a feeble voice, as her one-and-half-month-old son cried in her arms just as he was when his father was being arrested.
Amid protests in Barak Valley, Morigaon and Dhubri, the crackdown on child marriage in Assam entered the fourth day on Monday, with the number of arrests rising to 2,441.
The opposition has criticised the manner in which the drive against child marriage was being carried out, equating the police action with "terrorising people".
Sources said the panel has also recommended that boys and girls will have equal inheritance rights, registration of marriages will be made mandatory and the marriageable age for girls would be increased so that they can become graduates before marriage.
As the police said they have a list of 8,000 accused and the drive will continue, women protested against the move in various districts saying they will face problems without livelihoods.
13,660 km. 40 million Biharis participate in this year's 'world's longest' human chain.
A total of 2,241 arrests have been made so far in the state, based on 4,074 FIRs, as part of the crackdown launched four days ago.
Members of the Congress and AIUDF, protesting against a Cabinet decision to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, staged walkouts later.
Venu Muruvelil reports on the Outrage over thriving child marriages in Kerala as the state government looks the other way.
The government on Friday admitted that child marriages are prevalent across the country but they often went unregistered.
A 13-year-old tribal girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district was allegedly forcibly married off and raped, police said on Friday.
The Maharashtra government has announced a flexible work time initiative for women state government employees working in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The 'Come Early, Go Early' initiative will allow women employees flexible reporting times and earlier departure times.
In case of such marriages being declared null and void, the legislation provides that the husband or if he is minor at the time of child marriage, his guardian would pay maintenance to the minor girl till her remarriage.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat emphasized the need for Hindu unity, vigilance, and social harmony, advocating for family values and addressing concerns about infiltration and social divisions.
A 14-year-old girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district has alleged that she was forcibly married to a man, sexually assaulted and made to undergo an abortion, police said on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court of India dissolved a marriage, instructing the couple to prioritize their child's well-being and set aside personal differences.
Fairs are commonplace in the festive season but in tribal West Midnapore, which falls in the erstwhile Maoist-hit Jangalmahal area, it is child marriage fairs which are drawing large crowds.
Girdhari Lal Sahu, husband of Uttarakhand minister Rekha Arya, has caused a controversy after allegedly saying that girls from Bihar are available for marriage at a low price. The statement has drawn criticism from the opposition Congress and the Bihar State Women Commission.
You have to decide whether you want to spend the rest of your life unhappily married or are brave enough to go it alone, counsels Rediff's Love Guru.
Justices Urmila Joshi Phalke and Nandesh Deshpande of the HC's Nagpur bench, in the order passed on September 26, refused to accept the man's contention that he was in a consensual relationship with the 17-year-old girl and had registered the marriage only when she turned 18.
Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have earned the dubious distinction of being at the top two spots in the list of child marriages in the country accounting for 40 percent of such incidents in a single year.
'I watched Balika Vadhu with my mother and wondered what it is like for young girls who find themselves trapped in this situation. I think parents should first educate their children, help them to build a career and then get them married.' Gracy Goswami, all of 11, takes a mature stand on child marriage.
As Assi gets ready for release this week, Deepa Gahlot lists 10 films that deal with rape in different ways.
Kanti Singh is alleged to have blessed the couple -- Pinki Kumari (14) and Ashok Kumar Giri (15) -- after their marriage was solemnised on December 12.
A Gujarat-based couple's 23-year marriage ended in divorce due to a long-standing dispute over the wife's dietary choice of not consuming onion and garlic. The Gujarat High Court upheld the divorce verdict.
Maharashtra Minister Pankaj Bhoyar reports a decline in dowry-related crimes over the past five years, attributing it to intensified government efforts through vigilance committees and special probe teams.
During Valentine's Week, Prabhat Kumar shares the story on how he met his wife, Ranjana.
Officials in Rajasthan have ordered a probe into a mass child marriage ceremony in Baran district that was allegedly organised by an Independent MLA and Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and C P Joshi were present. Social Welfare Minister Madan Dilawar alleged at least 100 minor children were married off at the ceremony organised by Independent MLA Promod Jain.
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