Cover Page Child Marriage - Planning Commission

1 Child Marriage in India: A Study of Situation, Causes & Enforcement of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act Final Report Sponsored By Planning Commission Government of India New Delhi Submitted By Pt. Pant Institute of Studies in Rural Development B/157, Shivani Bihar, Kalyanpur, Lucknow CONTENT Chapter Particulars Page Number Preface & Acknowledgment I II Team Members III State Coordinators IV Acronyms V-VI List of Tables VII-XII List of Charts and Boxes XIII Executive Summary XIV-XXIC hapter 1 Introduction 1 -15 Chapter 2 Review of Literature 16 - 41 Chapter 3 Child Marriage in India.

2 Prevalence, Policy and Legal Perspective 42 - 97 Chapter 4 Profile of Parents and their View Perception 98 - 149 Chapter 5 Profile of Victims and Their View Perception 150 -206 Chapter 6 View Perception of Officials and Non-Officials 207 224 Chapter 7 Conclusion and Policy Recommendations 225 -238 Select Bibliography I - XXAnnexure- I Questionnaires for Parents I-VIAnnexure- II Questionnaires for Victims of Child Marriage VII-XIIIA nnexure- III Questionnaires for Officials/Non-Officials/SHG, Panchayat, NGOs XIV-XVII I Preface & Acknowledgement The practice of marrying girls at a young age is a worldwide phenomenon however; this is most common in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East and South Asia including Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

3 The problem of Child Marriage is widely spread across the country however; it is most common in northern, eastern and western India. The states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam, Orissa and Gujarat have witnessed a high rate of the prevalence of early Marriage in India. There are multiple reasons for the prevailing of the practice of Child Marriage . Socio-cultural, economic and historical reasons are identified as the main contributors of the Child Marriage .

4 Cultural traditions, practices, customs, community, caste and ethnic pressures, educational and economic backwardness, poverty and ineffective enforcement of legislation and laws are the main reasons for prevailing high rate of early Marriage in India. Government and non-government agencies are making serious efforts to curb the practice of Child Marriage however; a large numbers of Child marriages are being performed on pious occasions in different parts of the country. This is a cause of concern for the policy makers, administrators and development activists as the practice of Child Marriage undermines the efforts for achieving developmental goals and particularly ensuring the Child rights and reducing maternal and Child mortality and morbidity.

5 Against this view point, present study has been carried out in 10 states of India to assess the current situation and causes of Child marriages and also to examine the implementation of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. The study has been planned in seven chapters. Chapter 1st is introductory one which provides rationale, objectives, research methodology and limitations of the study. Chapter 2nd deals with review of literature and provides a theoretical framework while Chapter 3rd is concerned with situation, prevalence, causes and consequences of Child Marriage along with critical review of policy and legal perspective.

6 Chapter 4th provides the analysis of the view perception of parents while Chapter 5th is concerned with profile and II view perception of victims of Child Marriage . Chapter 6th is related with analysis of the view perception of concerned officials and non-officials. Chapter 7th is concluding one which provides analysis of main research findings and policy recommendations. We are highly grateful to the concerned officials of Planning Commission , Government of India, New Delhi for entrusting the study to us by providing financial support.

7 We are thankful to the officials of concerned state governments for extending all kind of support to the research team for conducting field survey. We place on record the sincere appreciation of the officials and representatives of local governments, civil societies, NGOs, CBOs and other stakeholders for sharing their views on the issue of Child Marriage . We are very much thankful to Dr. S. P. Pandey, Director of the Institute for providing the funds in time to conduct the study smoothly. Finally, the credit goes to Dr. Singh who assisted in drafting the report and giving it to the final shape.

8 Our research team comprising of Dr. Neelo Farooqui, Kuswaha, Sheel, Mr. M. Nadeem, Mr. Sharique Razi, Mr. Rajesh Gupta, Mr. Sushant Singh, Manish Bahl, Singh, Mr. Javed, Mr. Sahabuddin, Mr. Mithilesh Shukla, Ms. Shalini Yadav, Mr. Abhishek Pandey and others who took entire pains for gatherings of data, literature, field survey, processing of data and analysis of research findings. Dr. Sultana Usmani Project Director Team Members Child Marriage in India: A Study of Situation, Causes & Enforcement of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act Sl. No. Name Designation Duration 1.

9 Mrs. Sultana Usmani Project Director 12 Months2. Dr. Neelo Farooqui Associate Director 12 Months 3. Ms. Rashika Sheel Research Officer 12 Months4. Mr. Rajesh Gupta Research Investigator 6 Months 5. Mr. Ashok Kuswaha Research Investigator6 Months 6. Mr. Sushant Singh Research Investigator6 Months 7. Mr. Manish Bahl Research Investigator6 Months 8. Ms. Sarita Singh Research Investigator6 Months 9. Mr. Mohmmad Javed Research Investigator 6 Months 10. Mr. Sharique Razi Research Investigator6 Months 11. Mr. Mithilesh Shukla Research Investigator6 Months 12.

10 Mr. Mohammad Nadeem Research Investigator 6 Months 13. Mr. Sahabuddin Research Investigator6 Months 14. Ms. Shalini Yadav Typist 12 Month 15. Mr. Abhishek PandeyComputer Operator 12 Months III State Coordinators Child Marriage in India: A Study of Situation, Causes & Enforcement of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act IV Names and Address State 1. Dr. , Associate Professor, Faculty Area of Environment and Developmental Economics, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal Madhya Pradesh 2. Prof. , National Law Institute, Kerwa Dam Road, Bhopal.