NEW DELHI: DELHI’S record of just one reported case of child marriage in 2022 stands in stark contrast to the national scenario, where a total of 1,002 cases were documented across India, as revealed by data from the Nat ional Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Experts attribute the low incidence in Delhi to its unique status as the national capital and a metropolitan-cumurban area, where instances of child marriage are considered less prevalent. However, the situation markedly differs in rural areas across India, as emphasized by experts.
According to the National Health Family Survey (NHFS) for 2019-21, India’s current child marriage rate stands at 23.3 percent, with 257 districts experiencing child marriages at rates higher than the national average. Child marriage, often equated with child rape, has grave consequences, leading to child pregnancies, deaths, and miscarriages, causing India to lose generations of children over decades.
NCRB data indicates a marginal decline in cases of child marriage in 2022 compared to the previous year. The recorded figures for child marriages are as follows: 1002 cases in 2022, 1050 in 2021, 785 in 2020, 523 in 2019, 501 in 2018, and 395 in 2017.
Despite this decline, experts highlight a significant gap between actual cases and those reported to law enforcement agencies. This vast difference raises concerns about the accountability, efficacy, and functionality of various monitoring agencies and officials at the grassroots level responsible for preventing and reporting these marriages.
Child rights activist and SC advocate Bhuwan Ribhu, in a conversation with this newspaper stated, “These numbers are a telltale sign of the enormity of the crisis we are dealing with. To bridge this gap, mandatory reporting of child marriages is a prerequisite, along with strict penalties for offenders. It requires immediate and comprehensive intervention.”