BHOPAL: Marriages of girls aged below 18 years continue to increase in Madhya Pradesh, despite the government claims of working against it in a focussed manner, especially through public awareness campaigns.
Statistics tabled by Mohan Yadav government in the Assembly on Tuesday revealed a 47% increase in such cases in 2025, compared to corresponding figures from 2020. So far, this year, 538 child marriages have been reported across the state, a big rise from 366 in 2020.
There were 366 such marriages reported in 2020, which increased by 19% to 436 in 2021, 519 marriages in 2022, 528 in 2023, and 529 in 2024.
While Bundelkhand, central MP, Gwalior-Chambal region, besides some tribal dominated districts have reported the maximum number of such weddings, Damoh district of Bundelkhand region has emerged as the prime hotspot with maximum 115 such marriages in 2025.
With 115 marriages, Damoh contributed 21% of the total 538 such marriages so far this year. The same district had reported 69 such marriages in 2021, 64 in 2022, 39 in 2023 and 33 in 2024.
The other districts which reported significant number of such marriages this year, included Rajgarh with 44 marriages, 35 in Bundelkhand’s Chhatarpur, 28 in Gwalior-Chambal region’s Guna, 24 each in Sagar & Dewas, and 23 in Narsinghpur district.
A maximum of 115 weddings in Damoh this year is the first time in five years that any district has reported in 100 or more marriages annually.
Concern raised
The incidence of marriages involving girls below 18 years has risen from 366 in 2020 to 538 in 2025
Damoh dist in Bundelkhand has recorded 115 child marriages this year
This is the first time in five years that a dist has seen over 100 cases in a year