Bihar to constitute 'task force' to prevent, eradicate child marriages

Patna: The Bihar government has decided to constitute a state-level 'task force' headed by the chief secretary to monitor action taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, Bihar has the second-highest rate of child marriage in the country, following West Bengal.

The report said 40.8 per cent of women in the state get married before turning 18. However, only 19 cases were registered under the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) between 2020 and 2024.

"We are working on a focused intervention to curb child marriage in communities and geographical areas with a higher prevalence of the practice. The Bihar government has decided to constitute a state-level ‘task force' to monitor the actions taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state," chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena told PTI on Saturday.

Police and other agencies have been instructed to effectively handle cases related to the PCMA and take strict action against those involved in such illegal practices, he added.

"The task force will regularly monitor the actions taken in this regard," he said.

The state government is implementing a multipronged strategy to combat child marriage, which includes stricter enforcement of the law, empowering girls through education, and raising awareness through JEEViKA (the state-level women’s socio-economic empowerment programme), he said.

Additionally, the government has introduced a 35 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and 50 per cent reservation at all levels in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Bodies (ULB), the chief secretary added.

"Economic empowerment and girls’ education are key pillars of our strategy to reduce child marriage. Establishment of high schools in all gram panchayats and the budget announcement for setting up degree colleges in each block will significantly contribute to reducing child marriages. We are also in the process of creating a separate cadre of officers to prevent and handle child marriage cases. These officers, appointed at sub-division and district levels, will be called ‘Child Marriage Protection Officers,’" Meena added.

Echoing a similar view, Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, additional chief secretary of the social welfare department and chairman-cum-managing director of the Women and Child Development Corporation (WCDC), told PTI, "Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state government is taking several initiatives to prevent child marriage and empower women. These initiatives include the creation of a state-level task force and a separate cadre of officers dedicated to addressing child marriage cases."

She added that detailed guidelines are being framed to ensure effective coordination between the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) and Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPO) to tackle child marriages in the state.

"The integration of legal enforcement with community-based awareness programmes is essential to preventing child marriages in Bihar," Bamhrah emphasised.

Speaking to PTI, Jehanabad district magistrate Alankrita Pandey said, "Necessary measures are being taken to prevent child marriages in the district. We are first identifying pockets prone to child marriages in Jehanabad and engaging local communities to prevent them. As part of our community engagement initiatives, we frequently organise awareness camps in rural areas to inform people about the consequences of child marriage and its grave impact on the health of both child brides and their children."

Similarly, Rohtas district magistrate Udita Singh told PTI, “As part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, the district administration organises interactive meetings with girl students (of class 9) in government schools every Saturday at the block and panchayat levels. During these meetings, we educate them about the consequences of child marriage.

Additionally, we have introduced an incentive programme for informers who report cases of underage marriage to the authorities. If the information provided is verified to be true, the informer will receive a cash reward of up to Rs 5,000."