{"id":88560,"date":"2026-11-12T18:24:08","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T12:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=88560"},"modified":"2026-11-12T18:25:05","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T12:55:05","slug":"bal-vivah-mukt-bharat-campaign-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-11-2026\/bal-vivah-mukt-bharat-campaign-2","title":{"rendered":"Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat: Towards a Child Marriage-Free India by 2030"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: <\/strong><strong>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>The government has said that the <strong>Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign<\/strong> is aimed at reducing the prevalence of child marriage by 10% by 2026 and making India <strong>child marriage-free by 2030.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Is Child Marriage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Child marriage, defined under <strong>Prohibition of Child Marriage Act<\/strong> is any union where the <strong>female\/girl party is under 18 years<\/strong> and a <strong>male below 21 years of age<\/strong>, perpetuates cycles of poverty, gender inequality, and health risks, particularly in rural and tribal areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f0e4ce\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"905\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-57-905x1024.png\" alt=\"child marriage\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-88562\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f0e4ce; aspect-ratio:0.884050582953742;width:411px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-57-905x1024.png 905w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-57-265x300.png 265w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-57-768x869.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-57-1358x1536.png 1358w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-57.png 1784w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As per the <strong>Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita<\/strong>, <strong>2023<\/strong>, any sexual act by a man with his wife who is below 18 years of age <strong>amounts to rape.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Supreme Court of India<\/strong> has further clarified that when the husband of a child bride commits penetrative sexual assault on her, it amounts to aggravated penetrative sexual assault, an offence punishable under the <strong>Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Current Status of Child Marriage in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has witnessed a <strong>gradual decline<\/strong> in child marriage, but its prevalence remains a significant concern.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to <strong>NFHS-5 (2019\u201321)<\/strong>, 23.3% of women aged 20\u201324 were married before attaining 18 years, compared with 26.8% in NFHS-4 (2015\u201316).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The practice is disproportionately concentrated in economically disadvantaged and rural communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Significant interstate and intrastate variations highlight the need for region-specific interventions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government has identified <strong>257 high-burden districts<\/strong> for focused action under the national campaign.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons for Child Marriage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Poverty &amp; Economic Insecurity:<\/strong> Families sometimes consider early marriage a means of reducing financial responsibilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gender Discrimination:<\/strong> Patriarchal attitudes often prioritise marriage over girls&#8217; education and independence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Education:<\/strong> School dropout, inadequate educational infrastructure and limited access to secondary education increase vulnerability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social &amp; Cultural Traditions:<\/strong> Community pressure, customary practices and concerns about family honour reinforce early marriage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Safety Concerns:<\/strong> Fear of sexual harassment and perceived insecurity sometimes leads families to arrange early marriages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Law Enforcement:<\/strong> Inadequate awareness, underreporting and insufficient institutional capacity allow the practice to continue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Legislation: Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It provides the principal legal framework to prevent child marriage. Its key provisions include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Section 3:<\/strong> Child marriages are generally voidable at the option of the contracting party who was a child at the time of marriage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Section 12:<\/strong> Certain marriages, including those involving force, deceit, sale or trafficking, are void.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Section 13:<\/strong> Courts can issue injunctions to prevent child marriages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Section 16:<\/strong> Provides for the appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Section 9\u201311:<\/strong> Prescribes punishment for adult male persons marrying a child and those performing, promoting or permitting child marriages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Act provides for maintenance and residence for the female contracting party and legitimacy of children born from such marriages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Efforts by the Judiciary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Independent Thought v. Union of India (2017):<\/strong> The Supreme Court read down the marital rape exception under the IPC for wives aged 15\u201318, strengthening the protection of minor girls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action v. Union of India (2024):<\/strong> The Supreme Court issued important directions to strengthen the implementation of the PCMA, including awareness generation, institutional coordination, training of authorities and effective prevention mechanisms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other Related Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), 2015:<\/strong> It seeks to address gender discrimination, improve the survival and protection of the girl child and promote girls&#8217; education.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It complements the fight against child marriage by challenging discriminatory social attitudes and encouraging investment in girls&#8217; development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) Campaign, 2024: <\/strong>It aims to make India child marriage-free by 2030. Its major features include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mobilisation of Panchayati Raj institutions, educational institutions, religious leaders, civil society organisations and local administrations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identification of vulnerable districts and focused community-level interventions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Appointment and mobilisation of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promotion of girls&#8217; education, awareness and collective responsibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Achievements of BVMB Portal:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>6.85 lakh awareness programmes<\/strong> conducted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>12.47 crore participants<\/strong> reached.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>42.01 lakh pledges<\/strong> registered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>71,882 CMPOs<\/strong> reflected on the portal, including 59,686 designated at the Gram Panchayat level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>100-Day Special Awareness Campaign: <\/strong>It represents an intensive effort to translate national objectives into community-level action.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It emphasises awareness generation, stakeholder participation, identification of vulnerable children and timely intervention by local authorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"62b3dc\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-56-1024x900.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-88561\" style=\"--dominant-color: #62b3dc; width:444px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-56-1024x900.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-56-300x264.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-56-768x675.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-56-1536x1350.png 1536w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/11\/image-56.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Achieving the 2030 target requires a comprehensive strategy:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Education:<\/strong> Ensure universal access to quality secondary education, particularly for girls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Empowerment:<\/strong> Expand skill development, livelihood opportunities and financial support for disadvantaged families.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Institutional Strengthening:<\/strong> Improve the capacity, accessibility and accountability of CMPOs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community Participation:<\/strong> Engage parents, religious leaders, teachers and Panchayats in changing social attitudes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technology-enabled Governance:<\/strong> Strengthen digital reporting, district-level monitoring and timely grievance redressal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Convergence:<\/strong> Integrate child marriage prevention with schemes relating to nutrition, health, education and women&#8217;s empowerment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ddnews.gov.in\/en\/bal-vivah-mukt-bharat-how-pm-modis-vision-is-strengthening-the-fight-against-child-marriage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: DD News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The government has said that the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign is aimed at reducing the prevalence of child marriage by 10% by 2026 and making India child marriage-free by 2030. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> What Is Child Marriage <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Child marriage, defined under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act is any union where the female\/girl party is under 18 years and a male below 21 years of age, perpetuates cycles of poverty, gender inequality, and health risks, particularly in rural and tribal areas.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-11-2026\/bal-vivah-mukt-bharat-campaign-2 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88560","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\/88560","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88560"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88565,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88560\/revisions\/88565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}