Govt sets up task force to study link between marriage age and Maternal Mortality Rate

Government has set up a task force to examine the correlation between marriage, age of motherhood as well as Maternal Mortality Rate, following up on the Budget announcement to set up a mechanism to look into the "entire issue about age of a girl entering motherhood".

The ten-member task force, headed by prominent politician and activist Jaya Jaitly, was set up on June 4. The task force will submit its report by July 31.

In her budget speech in February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said, “women’s age of marriage was increased from 15 years to 18 years in 1978, by amending erstwhile Sharda Act of 1929. As India progresses further, opportunities open up for women to pursue higher education and careers. There are imperatives of lowering MMR as well as improvement of nutrition levels. Entire issue about age of a girl entering motherhood needs to be seen in this light. I propose to appoint a task force that will present its recommendations in six months’ time..”

According to the Terms of Reference, the Task Force will examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with health, medical well-being and nutritional status of mother and neonate/infant/child, during pregnancy, birth as well as key parameters like Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Total Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) and Child Sex Ratio (CSR).

It will also suggest measures for promoting higher education among women, suitable legislative instruments or amendments in existing laws to support the recommendations of the Task Force and a detailed roll-out plan with timelines to implement its recommendations.

The members of the Task Force include Niti Aayog member (Health) Dr Vinod Paul and Secretaries of Union Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Higher Education, School Education and Literacy and Legislative Department as well as Najma Akhtar (New Delhi), Vasudha Kamath (Maharashtra) Dr. Dipti Shah (Gujarat).