Task Force to Eradicate Child Marriage | Bihar | 13 Mar 2025

Why in News?

The Bihar government is going to constitute a state level 'task force' under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to prevent and eliminate child marriage in the state .

Key Points

Objectives and functions of the Task Force:
- To effectively guide the police and other agencies in preventing child marriage.
- To ensure strict disposal of cases related to Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA).
- Enhancing coordination between Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPO) and Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU).
- Appointment of Child Marriage Protection Officers at every district and sub-division level.
Status of child marriage in the state:
- According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, Bihar ranks second after West Bengal in terms of rate of child marriage in the country .
- According to the report, 40.8 % of women in the state are married before the age of 18.
Other efforts to eradicate child marriage:
- Interactive meetings with girl students in schools under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign .
- Cash reward of up to Rs 5000 for providing verified information under Informer Incentive Scheme .
- Organizing awareness camps in rural areas to inform the community about the ill effects of child marriage.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Campaign

It was launched in January 2015 with the aim to address sex selective abortion and the declining child sex ratio which was at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.
This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The programme is being implemented across 405 districts in the country.

Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

About:
- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 It is an act of the Government of India, which has been implemented to prevent child marriage in the society.
Key provisions of the Act:
- Under this Act, marriage of a man below 21 years of age or a woman below 18 years of age will be categorized as child marriage.
  - Under this child marriage has been considered a punishable offence.
- Also, under this Act, any adult man who solemnizes a child marriage or any person solemnizing the child marriage shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years, or with fine of up to one lakh rupees, or with both, but no woman shall be punished with imprisonment.
- The offences committed under this Act will be cognizable and non-bailable.
- Under this Act, there is also a provision to declare the marriage of a minor child invalid.