New Delhi, 28 July (H.S.): Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur on Tuesday said that the government, along with citizens and civil society organisations, will achieve the goal of making India free from child marriage by 2030.

Savitri Thakur was addressing the inaugural session of the four-day national consultation titled “Ensuring Child Rights, Potential and Prosperity” organised by Just Rights for Children, a nationwide network of more than 250 civil society organisations working for the protection of child rights. The event was held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.

She said that working in the field of child protection is extremely challenging, but with the support of the government and collective efforts, civil society organisations are overcoming these challenges. She highlighted that many young girls become victims of trafficking and are often unable to return home. Such children wait for someone to rescue them, and volunteers of civil society organisations who work to free them from exploitation and sexual abuse are no less than angels.

The minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to eliminating child marriage by 2030. Several initiatives have been implemented to make the “Child Marriage-Free India” campaign successful. She appreciated the efforts of Just Rights for Children in strengthening the movement and said that the organisation’s contribution towards achieving the dream of a child marriage-free India will always be remembered.

On the occasion, Lok Sabha member and Telugu Desam Party Parliamentary Party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, who is the convenor of MPs for Children, said that the movement launched by Just Rights for Children against child marriage is now spreading across the world. He described it as an extraordinary initiative and said India has demonstrated that ending child marriage is possible.

Founder of Just Rights for Children and noted child rights activist Bhuvan Ribhu said, “The spark ignited by the Child Marriage-Free India campaign on November 27, 2024, soon transformed into a nationwide movement. Since then, this movement has evolved into a broader vision of empowering every child through justice, technology, leadership and collective efforts. India is showing that when governments, civil society, academia, communities and young people unite towards a common goal, change becomes inevitable. This is no longer just India’s story; it is a message to the entire world that the most important investment any country can make is investment in its children.”

He added that every time a child marriage is prevented in a village, it not only protects one child but also sends a strong message to the entire community that child marriage has no place in a modern society.

He further said that in collaboration with the government, more than 550,000 child marriages have been prevented over the past three years.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar