BENGALURU: Karnataka has recorded a sharp decline in child marriages over the past three years, with cases among girls falling by 55% and among boys by 88%, according to a report by Just Rights for Children (JRC).
The report, Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India, notes that nationally, child marriages fell by 69% among girls and 72% among boys. Other surveyed states reported reductions among girls of 84% in Assam, 70% in Maharashtra and Bihar, and 66% in Rajasthan.
Prepared by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (C-LAB), the study attributes the decline to combined actions of the government and civil society organisations. In Karnataka, JRC partnered with seven NGOs across 14 districts on child protection initiatives.
The report stated that Karnataka relied more on helplines (75%) and Child Welfare Committees (53%) than local police stations (40%) for reporting cases. Awareness campaigns were identified by 92% of respondents as the most effective tool, while prosecutions through FIRs and arrests were cited by 50%.
The report highlighted that fear of social stigma (79%) and lack of awareness (62%) remain barriers to reporting. Census 2011 recorded 4.8 lakh children married below legal age in Karnataka, yet only 783 cases were reported between 2019 and 2022. During the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, all respondents in Karnataka pledged against child marriage, with NGOs leading 78% of campaigns. Key recommendations of the report include strict enforcement of child marriage laws, improved reporting mechanisms, compulsory marriage registration, and village-level awareness of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat portal.
The study also suggests designating a National Day against Child Marriage to support elimination by 2030. The report, released during a UN General Assembly side event in New York, surveyed 757 villages, including 151 in Karnataka.