Child marriage persists despite national decline, West Bengal tops list: Data

NEW DELHI: Child matrimony persists successful respective Indian states contempt years of campaigns promoting girls' acquisition and delayed marriage, with West Bengal and Jharkhand reporting the country's highest stock of girls marrying earlier the ineligible property of 18 years, according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024.The study - released by the Registrar General of India - showed that portion astir women successful India present wed aft 21 years, determination are pockets successful parts of eastbound and cardinal India wherever aboriginal matrimony remains entrenched. Nationally, 2.1% of women who got joined successful 2024 were beneath 18 years of age, portion 24.5% joined betwixt 18 and 20 years. Nearly three-fourths - 73.5% - joined astatine 21 years oregon above. Overall, much than 1 successful 4 women successful India inactive got joined earlier the property of 21 successful 2024.

Bengal recorded the country's highest proportionality of girls marrying earlier 18 years astatine 6.3%, followed by Jharkhand astatine 4.9%. Chhattisgarh was besides identified among states wherever a sizeable proportionality of girls (2.9%) proceed to wed earlier adulthood. In agrarian India, 2.4% of girls joined earlier turning 18, compared to 1.1% successful municipality areas.Among agrarian regions, Bengal reported the highest stock of kid marriages astatine 5.9%, followed by Jharkhand (5.8%).

Bengal was besides astatine the apical for kid marriages successful municipality areas astatine 7.6%, acold supra the municipality nationalist mean of 1.1%. Delhi reported zero kid matrimony successful the survey, portion Kerala recorded 1 of the lowest rates astatine 0.04%.Haryana and Himachal besides reported precise debased figures. The study showed the mean property of matrimony for women successful India present stood astatine 23.1 years. Public wellness experts accidental aboriginal matrimony is intimately linked with schoolhouse dropout, aboriginal pregnancy, higher maternal wellness risks and little workforce information among women.