New Delhi, 5 December (H.S.): India’s fight against child marriage has received a major boost with Just Rights for Children (JRC) announcing a nationwide drive to make one lakh villages child marriage-free within the next year. The announcement comes as the Government of India marks one year of its Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, launched with a strong 100-day action plan to curb child marriages.
The targeted villages span 450 districts across 25 states and union territories, many of which continue to report high prevalence. Fifteen districts record child marriage rates above 50%, 45 districts cross 40%, and another 95 exceed 30%. Several others remain close to or above the national average of 23.3%, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
The selected villages include districts across Uttar Pradesh (41), Madhya Pradesh (39), Bihar and Rajasthan (38 each), Assam (30), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (26), Odisha (25), Jharkhand (24), West Bengal (23) and Delhi (11).
At a gathering held at Vigyan Bhawan, JRC Founder Bhuwan Ribhu underscored the vital role of community participation.
“Building a child marriage-free India is only possible when communities, faith leaders, panchayats and citizens come together. Over one lakh child marriages were stopped last year, proving that collective action brings real change. Our pledge is clear—within the next one year, one lakh villages will become child marriage-free. Over the next three years, we will work tirelessly to eliminate this crime entirely,” he said.
JRC is among the country’s largest child-protection networks, with over 250 NGO partners working across 451 districts. Through coordinated efforts with local administrations, police, community influencers, faith institutions and wedding-related service providers, the network prevented more than one lakh child marriages in the past year.
Marking the anniversary of the national campaign, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi led a nationwide pledge and unveiled the expanded 100-Day Intensive Action Plan. The Central government has directed states to involve officials across Health, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, School Education and Higher Education ministries for robust implementation.
The plan, set to conclude on 8 March 2026—International Women’s Day—will unfold in three key phases:
Awareness programs in schools, colleges and educational institutions
Engagement campaigns at religious places and among marriage-related service providers
Strengthening local leadership through gram panchayats and municipal wards
With this renewed momentum, India is moving steadily toward the goal of eliminating child marriage by 2029, reinforcing its broader vision of a safer, empowered and Viksit Bharat.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar
