NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government will soon decide on revising the minimum age of marriage for women after it receives a report from the committee constituted for the purpose.
While addressing a video conference for releasing a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination on the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the PM said: “There is an important deliberation going on to decide what should be the ideal age of marriage for daughters,” the prime minister said.
Modi said the government has constructed 11 crore toilets across the country under the Swachh Bharat Mission , and is also providing sanitary pads at Rs 1 to poor women.
“Because of these efforts, for the first time, the gross enrolment ratio of girls in education is more than that of boys,” he said.
In this year’s Independence Day speech too, the PM had said the government is reconsidering the minimum age of marriage for women.
Currently, the legal age of marriage for women in India is 18, while it is 21 years for men. There have been concerns that the earlier marriage in girls leads to a disadvantage in education and leads to large family size.
In June, the Centre had formed a 10-member task force under politician Jaya Jaitley, to recommend, among other things, whether the legal age of marriage for women could be changed from 18 years.
The other members in the panel include Dr V K Paul, member (health) Niti Aayog, secretaries of higher education, school education, health, women and child development, legislative department apart from academicians Najma Akhtar, Vasudha Kamat and Dipti Shah. On Friday, Modi said he has been receiving letters from women across India asking when the government will take a decision on the issue.
“The government will soon take its decision after the submission of the report,” Modi said.