Assam Tops India with 84% Drop in Child Marriages

Assam has emerged as a national leader in reducin child marriage, reporting an 84% decline in cases among girls and a 91% reduction among boys over the past three years.

Respectively, exceeding the national averages of 69% and 72%,  The findings are part of the report Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India, released by Just Rights for Children (JRC) during a event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Among five surveyed states, Assam topped the list, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70% each), Rajasthan (66%), and Karnataka (55%) in the decline of child marriages among girls. 

The report attributes the state’s remarkable progress to a combination of strict legal law, zero-tolerance policies, and coordinated initiatives with central authorities and civil society organizations.

National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, Ravi Kant stated “The Assam government has demonstrated that when law is enforced without compromise and communities act with conviction, even deeply entrenched crimes like child marriage can be dismantled within a few years. Assam stands as a torchbearer, showing that legal deterrence backed by awareness campaigns paves the way for a Child Marriage Free India.”

The report highlights that prosecution through FIRs and arrests played a crucial role, with 76% of respondents citing legal action as the second most effective tool behind awareness campaigns. Respectively. Awareness of mechanisms such as Child Welfare Committees and helplines, however, remained low at 31% and 22%, 

In recognition of Assam’s outstanding performance, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma  was awarded the ‘Champions of Change’ Award by Just Rights for Children. The award reflects the state’s proactive measures, including the Nijut Moina 2.0 Scheme, which incentivizes girls to continue their education and delay marriage.

The report also noted that awareness of child marriage laws in Assam is nearly universal, with 99% of respondents aware of the legal provisions. Media and NGOs played a major role in disseminating this knowledge, with 92% and 76% of respondents, citing them as their primary sources of information. 

The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, launched by the central government in 2024, also saw nearly universal awareness, with 95% of respondents having pledged against child marriage.

Key recommendations of the report include stricter implementation of child marriage laws, compulsory marriage registration, improved reporting technique, village-level awareness programs, and the designation of a national day against child marriage.

The data for the report were gathered from 757 villages across five states, including 150 villages in Assam, using multistage stratified random sampling.

Workers such as ASHA, Anganwadi, and Nurse Midwives, as well as school teachers and Panchayat members, were actively engaged in the survey.

With its robust legal and awareness initiatives, Assam is demonstrating a model for the rest of India in the fight against child marriage, showing that dedicated governance and community involvement can produce measurable results in safeguarding children’s rights.

Also Read: Child Marriage in Assam: 3 Arrested, Groom on the Run