Birth dates on wedding cards? Maharashtra's new plan to curb child marriage

MAharashtra is considering a find to impress the nascency dates of the bride and neaten on wedding party invitation cards to help curb child marriages, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said on Wednesday.The state aims to bring the incidence of the illegal practice below 10 per cent within the next five years, she said, replying to a question raised by BJP member Atul Bhatkhalkar in the legislative assembly.Maharashtra has written to the Rajasthan government to study its practice of mentioning the dates of birth of both the bride and groom on wedding invitation cards. The Maharashtra government will examine the feasibility of adopting a similar mechanism in consultation with the rural development and the law and judiciary departments, she said.Also Read: Child marriage in India touches a historic lowDecline in child marriage rateMaharashtra's child marriage rate has declined from 21.9 per cent in the 2019-21 survey to 19.6 per cent in the 2023-24 survey, compared to the national average of around 20.1 per cent in the latest survey, the minister pointed out.Authorities have prevented 1,434 child marriages and registered 136 FIRs during 2025-26 so far. A total of 1,495 child marriages were stopped in 2024-25, while 1,253 were prevented and 108 FIRs registered in 2023-24, she informed.As many as 930 child marriages were prevented and 81 FIRs lodged in 2022-23, while the corresponding figures stood at 831 in 2021-22, 519 in 2020-21, 240 in 2019-20 and 147 in 2018-19, when 10 FIRs were registered."The increase in the number of child marriages being stopped should not be interpreted as an increase in child marriages. It indicates improved detection, reporting and intervention by government machinery," Tatkare stressed.She said action is being taken not only against family members involved in child marriages, but also against those who knowingly facilitate such ceremonies, including priests, musicians and others participating in the event.The minister informed the House that district action forces headed by collectors, village protection committees and committees at the taluka and gram panchayat levels are actively working to curb child marriages and are being further strengthened.Six districts have been identified for special attention, with migration emerging as a key factor behind child marriages, particularly in Beed and other Marathwada districts, where families migrate for sugarcane-cutting work, she said.To tackle the problem, the government plans focused outreach among migrant labourers and expansion of facilities such as child care centres and residential homes to ensure children remain in safe environments during migration periods, Tatkare said.During the discussion, Bhatkhalkar sought details of action taken against persons involved in child marriages and questioned the timing of the state's request to Rajasthan regarding its model for checking child marriages.He also highlighted the seriousness of the issue in districts such as Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Parbhani, and sought district-wise details of child marriages prevented through government interventions.