Students, teachers spread awareness on drawbacks of child marriage

 

 

 

TO MAKE Chhattisgarh ‘Child Marriage Free’, Chhattisgarh Department of Woman and Child Development is organising events such as ‘Child Marriage Free India’ and ‘Child Marriage Free Chhattisgarh’ and for it, the department has started to organise various awareness activities. In schools, collges and panchayats, awareness activities are conducting at large manner and giving information about negative effects of child marriage in the society. As part of the campaign, students and teachers are bringing awareness about drawbacks of child marriage, legal acts against child marriage and role of the society to stop this malpractice.

 

The department is distributing digital certificates to the students who are actively involved in it. In awareness campaigns, at present as per Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006, minimum age of girl and boy for marriage is 21 years of age. Underage marriage is punishable with rigorous imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to 1 lakh rupees. On January 17, 2025, secretary of each gram panchayat had been appointed as child marriage prohibition officers and now it is mandatory to register marriage in panchayat.

 

It is also cleared that child marriage is a legal offence and it has been considered as cruelty act of crime. If any one finds information of child marriage, person should inform about it to Panchayat Secretary and Child Helpline numbers 1098 or 181. It is the target of state government to make Child Marriage Free in all of gram panchayats and municipal councils. In this direction, awareness campaigns are bringing positive change in the society about child marriage prohibition.