New Delhi, March 30 (Agency) The cases of child marriages have more than doubled in four years in the country, according to the statistics provided by the government in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. “The cases of child marriages registered during the year 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are 326, 395, 501, 523 and 785 respectively,” Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani said in a written answer based on the data provided by National Crime Records Bureau.
The minister was responding to a query by MP Vikas Mahatme who wanted to know the details regarding the prevalence of child marriages in the country. Mahatme also asked whether the government conducted any survey to determine the prevalence of child marriages in the country. Irani said that the Ministry of Women and Child Development has not conducted any such survey to to determine the prevalence of child marriages. She further said that the reason behind practice of Child Marriage in India may be the prevailing social customs, tradition, illiteracy, poverty, low status of women in society and lack of awareness.