State Intensifies Efforts to Eradicate Child Marriage After Alarming Rise

A renewed campaign to eliminate child marriage across Maharashtra has been launched after shocking data emerged from Raigad district, the home constituency of Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare. The initiative has been introduced as part of a 100-day action plan and is being implemented just ahead of the traditional post-Diwali wedding season.

It was revealed that the movement against child marriage is being carried out through a network of Asha and Anganwadi workers, who have been instructed to identify and intervene in cases involving girls below the legal marriage age. Under the strategy, awareness drives are being conducted across schools and communities, while vigilance teams are being formed at the local level to monitor early marriages.

Official data from Raigad has shown that the outlawed practice, banned under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006, is once again surfacing. According to district records, seven cases were reported in 2023, followed by five in 2024. However, the first nine months of 2025 alone witnessed 21 registered cases — a sharp increase that prompted immediate action from the state government.

Health statistics have further highlighted the extent of the issue. It has been reported that 237 childbirths among girls below 18 were recorded in 2024, while 111 similar cases were registered by June 2025. Officials from the Women and Child Development Department stated that these numbers reflected only government hospital records, suggesting that the actual count might be considerably higher when accounting for private clinics and home births. In response, a directive has been issued by Minister Tatkare to strengthen local-level monitoring. It has been decided that Anganwadi workers will track adolescent girls, especially those who have dropped out of school. Whenever a girl is found to be absent for more than three consecutive months, a home visit will be conducted to understand the reason for her absence and ensure she is not being forced into marriage.

The campaign titled “100 Days for a Child Marriage-Free Maharashtra” was launched on October 11 and has since been expanded in scope. Special attention is being directed toward tribal and remote regions within Raigad, including Alibaug, Karjat, Pen, Sudhagad, Murud, Roha, Panvel, Khalapur, and Mangaon — areas identified as vulnerable due to cultural and social practices. It has been emphasised by officials that the success of the plan depends heavily on sustained community engagement and awareness. Through coordinated efforts by health workers, educators, and district administrators, the state government aims to ensure that Maharashtra moves closer to becoming completely free from the practice of child marriage.