{"id":32860,"date":"2024-11-28T18:45:30","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T13:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=32860"},"modified":"2024-11-28T18:45:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T13:15:31","slug":"bal-vivah-mukt-bharat-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-11-2024\/bal-vivah-mukt-bharat-campaign","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBal Vivah Mukt Bharat\u201d Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Society; GS2\/Social Issues; Vulnerable Sections<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a significant step towards <strong>eradicating child marriage<\/strong> and empowering young girls across the nation, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development launched the national<strong> campaign \u201cBal Vivah Mukt Bharat\u201d.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focused Approach:<\/strong> The campaign will prioritize seven states with high rates of child marriage: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community Engagement:<\/strong> The campaign will involve community mobilization and awareness-raising activities to change societal norms and attitudes towards child marriage. Action plan aimed at reducing the child marriage rates below 5% by 2029 was launched.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal Empowerment: <\/strong>The campaign will strengthen the legal framework to prevent and punish child marriage, including stricter enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital Platform:<\/strong> A dedicated online portal will enable citizens to report child marriage incidents and access information about legal remedies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Status of Child Marriage in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the latest data, child marriages in India have halved from<strong> 47.4% in 2005-06 to 23.3% in 2019-21.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This decline is attributed to the implementation of the <strong>Prevention of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) in 2006<\/strong> and various <strong>awareness campaigns <\/strong>like <strong>Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Child Marriage-Free India Campaign).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As per the NFHS-5 data, there has been a substantial decrease in child marriage rates, from 47.4% in 2005-06 to 26.8% in 2015-16.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Despite the overall decline, certain states like <strong>West Bengal, Bihar, and Tripura <\/strong>still report higher rates of child marriage compared to the national average.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Reasons Behind Child Marriages in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Poverty and Economic Pressures:<\/strong> Families in economically disadvantaged situations often view marriage as a means to alleviate financial burdens.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Marrying off daughters early can reduce the economic strain on the family, as it means one less mouth to feed and can sometimes involve a dowry that provides immediate financial relief.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural and Social Norms: <\/strong>In many communities, early marriage is seen as a rite of passage and a way to preserve family honor.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These deeply ingrained beliefs make it challenging to change attitudes towards child marriage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gender Inequality and Patriarchy<\/strong>: Patriarchal values and gender inequality contribute to the prevalence of child marriages.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Girls are often seen as a burden, and their primary role is perceived to be that of a wife and mother.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It limits their opportunities for education and personal growth, making early marriage a common outcome.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Education:<\/strong> The lack of educational opportunities leaves girls vulnerable to early marriage, as families may prioritise marriage over schooling.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Educated girls are more likely to delay marriage and have better prospects for their future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fear of Sexual Assault:<\/strong> In some regions, the fear of sexual assault and the desire to protect a girl\u2019s chastity can lead families to marry off their daughters at a young age.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This protective measure is often misguided and results in the violation of the girl\u2019s rights and freedoms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Law Enforcement:<\/strong> Despite the existence of laws prohibiting child marriage, enforcement remains weak in many areas.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Corruption, lack of awareness, and inadequate resources for law enforcement agencies contribute to the continued practice of child marriage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthening the implementation of laws and ensuring accountability is essential to curbing this issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pandemic-Induced Economic Hardship:<\/strong>The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic hardships for many families, leading to an increase in child marriages.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The financial strain caused by the pandemic forced some families to resort to early marriage as a coping mechanism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Legal Provision: The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006<\/strong>: It is the <strong>primary law<\/strong> addressing the child marriage in India, which replaced the earlier <strong>Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Minimum Age of Marriage:<\/strong> The PCMA sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 for women and 21 for men.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Punishments: Those who perform, conduct, or direct any child marriage can face rigorous imprisonment up to two years and\/or a fine up to one lakh rupees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs):<\/strong> The act mandates the appointment of CMPOs to prevent child marriages, create awareness, and ensure the law\u2019s implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supreme Court\u2019s Stance: <\/strong>The Supreme Court of India has <strong>emphasised that the PCMA cannot be overridden by personal laws<\/strong>, asserting that child marriages violate minors\u2019 free will to choose their life partners.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The court has also issued guidelines for the effective implementation of the law, stressing the need for community-driven approaches and multi-sectoral coordination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Child Marriage-Free India Campaign)<\/strong> aims to further reduce child marriage rates below 5% by 2029.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It focuses on high-burden states such as <em>West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh<\/em>, which have higher rates of child marriage compared to the national average.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It emphasizes a multi-faceted approach, including <em>Education Continuity, Skill Development; Health and Nutrition; and Safety and Security <\/em>etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The launch of the <strong>Child Marriage Free Bharat portal<\/strong> is a significant step in this direction. It serves as a platform to raise awareness, report cases, and monitor progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/109329\/OPS\/GD7DK0S8V.1+GP8DL590E.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a significant step towards eradicating child marriage and empowering young girls across the nation, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development launched the national campaign \u201cBal Vivah Mukt Bharat\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32860"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32861,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32860\/revisions\/32861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}