More children are being married off than before

According to the Census 2011, this trend has dropped at the national level, but its figures paint a different picture of the state. The Census recorded that over two lakh girls in the under-15 category and 9.79 lakh in the 15-19 age group were married.

While officials say the figures reflect the rise in population, activists contend that even if the figures have plateaued, it is alarming that child marriages are still prevalent and that many such marriages go unreported and undocumented.

Key Points

Before the Census 2011 data was published, Maharashtra was pleased with the findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 that recorded a sharp drop in the number of underage marriages.

However, district-wise data shows that over 40 per cent girls get married before they turn 18.

In districts like Aurangabad and Jalna, the numbers are alarming: 57.1 and 53.7 per cent respectively.

Background

Despite being pulled up by the Comptroller and Auditor General last year for not acting on child marriage, the state government is yet to respond.

In Sangola taluka of Solapur district, for instance, girls are traditionally married off in their early teens, but activists associated with local NGO Astitva said there have never been any checks, police complaints or even proactive measures by local elected representatives and health officials to check the trend.

Key Notes

States such as Haryana and West Bengal have specific policies for reducing child marriages.

Haryana was the first to start in 1994 with its apni beti apna dhan scheme: a cash reward initiative if the girl doesn’t marry till she turns 18.

Current Affairs 1st June, 2016
Current Affairs Round Up Bullet Points, May, 2016
Current Affairs Round Up Bullet Points, April, 2016