MPs to tackle ill of child marriage

New Delhi: Nov 30, 2010

Child marriage, one of India’s worst social ills, has finally caught the parliamentarians’ attention. With an estimated 47% girls married off in India before they reach their 15th birthday, MPs — especially from states with high rates of child marriage like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Haryana — will hold a meeting on Tuesday to curb the social menace that borders on serious human rights violation. Child marriage has been a major concern for the Union health ministry. India introduced laws against child marriage in 1929, and set 12 years as the legal age for marriage. Later, it was increased to 18 years in 1978.

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