"'Sobering social evil': SC frames measures to curb child marriages

SAYS PERSONAL LAWS CAN'T HINDER LAW PREVENTING CHILD MARRIAGE

Terming the prevalence of child marriages as a "sobering" social evil, the Supreme Court on Friday issued a slew of directives aimed at eliminating the deep-rooted practice in the country. In a 141-page judgement, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra outlined several steps to be undertaken by the Centre, states, and other authorities to effectively curb child marriages and strengthen the legal framework for its prevention.

The judgement called for an urgent and coordinated response from the government and law enforcement agencies. It reinforced the illegality of the practice and emphasized the need for a robust enforcement mechanism, citing the grim reality that child marriage remains prevalent in various parts of India despite legal prohibitions.

In its ruling, the court reiterated that child marriage is not only a "social evil" but also a criminal offence under Indian law. "Despite the near-universal agreement on the ills of child marriage its commission and prevalence have been sobering. Child marriage is the phenomenon of children being married before they attain the minimum legal age under the law," the court observed. Acknowledging that child marriage deprives children, particularly girls, of their fundamental rights to education, health, and development, the bench underscored that such marriages impose life-altering risks on children, including the dangers of early pregnancies, stunted intellectual growth, and psychological trauma.

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