CHENNAI: The number of child marriages in Tamil Nadu has increased at an alarming rate of 55.6 per cent between 2023 and 2024. While 1,054 marriages took place in 2023, it increased to 1,640 in 2024 in just 11 months between January and November, data obtained by TNIE through the Right to Information Act showed.
The data also showed that the percentage of child marriages the authorities managed to stop after receiving complaints has consistently declined in the last two years. Authorities managed to prevent 70.2 per cent of the marriages in the 3,609 complaints they received in 2022.
But this dropped to 65.4 per cent (of 3,049 complaints) in 2023 and to just 53.7 per cent (of 3,544 complaints) in 2024, indicating either lacunae in institutional mechanisms for effective action or a delay in receiving the complaints.
Officials and activists TNIE spoke to were equally surprised by the sharp increase, especially with the state introducing schemes like Pudhumai Penn to incentivise girl students to pursue higher education instead of dropping out after school.
At 150, Erode district topped the list in child marriages in 2024, followed by 133 in Tirunelveli. These were also the two districts that saw the highest increase compared to 2023 when Erode and Tirunelveli saw just 62 and 49 marriages, respectively.
‘Child marriage cases more among girls from underprivileged families’
Six of the top 10 districts with highest number of child marriages in 2024 were from the western region of Tamil Nadu, which included Coimbatore (90), Namakkal (74), Tiruppur (66), Dharmapuri (58) and Salem (51), besides Erode. However, it can be noted that Namakkal, despite being among the top, is an exception as it has shown a consistent decline since 2022.
The top 10 districts, which also included Perambalur (94), Dindigul (77) and Tirupattur (66), accounted for more than 50% of the total number child marriages recorded in Tamil Nadu in 2024.
Among the districts that saw the sharpest increase in numbers were Perambalur, Tirupattur, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Tiruppur, Nagapattinam, and Ariyalur. For instance, the number of marriages went up from just 2 in 2023 to 31 in 2024 in Ariyalur.
The data also showed that the authorities failed to register FIRs for all the marriages that happened. In 2023, FIRs were not filed in at least 246 child marriages, while this number stood at 145 in 2024.
Activists indicated that the surge in child marriages may be attributed to economic stress, caste pressures, a decrease in awareness campaigns, and the apparent decline in the quality of intervention by Childline services after the takeover by government. A senior employee with Childline, however, said the quality of intervention has not declined.
In the end of 2021, the state formed a committee to come up with an SOP to prevent child marriages since the TN Prohibition of Child Marriage Rules lacked clarity on the roles of stakeholders involved. However, the SOP is yet to be formulated.
“We’re seeing more cases involving girls from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Many marriages only come to light when the girl visits a hospital for pregnancy,” said a Child Welfare Committee member of one of the districts. He added that the police should get more involved in awareness programmes against child marriages.
“The government must ensure FIRs are filed in all cases of child marriage. As per the Supreme Court’s judgment, exclusive child marriage prevention officers must also be appointed,” said child rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Bhuwan Ribhu. Currently, social welfare officers double up as child marriage prevention officers in Tamil Nadu.
A Devaneyan, a child rights activist, said the state must identify and address region-specific causes, increase budgetary allocations and strengthen village-level child protection committees.
Meanwhile, social welfare department officials said sustained efforts are under way to ensure FIRs are filed for all marriages conducted to create a legal deterrent and the registration of FIRs has improved in recent months. On the SOPs for handling child marriages, a top official said that it would be released soon.
1,640 The number of child marriages this year till November
150 child marriages reported from Erode district