Child Marriage Cases: 1,465 instances reported across Karnataka in 3 years

Bengaluru: Despite living in a modern, technology-driven era, child marriages persist in Karnataka due to superstition and outdated practices.

Cases of child marriages have shown an increasing trend year by year. Though the Women and Child Development Minister, Lakshmi R. Hebbalkar, announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for villages declared “child marriage-free,” such incidents continue to occur in the state. According to government data, 1,465 cases of child marriage were registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act over the past three years.

The data indicates that there were 418 cases in 2021-22, 328 cases in 2022-23, and 719 cases in 2023-24.

In 2023-24, Mandya district topped the list with 204 reported cases, followed by Shivamogga (148), Mysuru (139), Bagalkote (86), and Vijayapura (79). In Chitradurga district, 84 cases were reported during 2022-23, earning it the top position for that year.

Minister Hebbalkar stated that the government is taking these incidents seriously and has instructed district and taluk-level officers to adopt strict measures to prevent child marriages. Anganwadi workers have also been directed to report any information about such incidents to their superiors immediately.