Central: Minimum Marriage age of females should be considered as 21

Last year, PM Narender Modi interacted with netizens during the Independence day celebration wherein he had sprinkled some clue over the minimum marriage Age of Females in India. Our government is constantly concerned about the health of daughters and sisters. Not following “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” would help fill such a gap. To save the daughters from malnutrition, they must be married at the right age,” the Prime Minister had said.

Minute after his statement, The government tied a tough knot at glancing some alterations in the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act, and the Hindu Marriage Act to bring the honourable PM’s word into action.After recommendations of the NITI Aayog task force headed by Jaya Jaitly’s proposal. Later, a panel of top government expert VK Paul, senior officials of the Health Ministry, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Law Ministry and many other departments were set up in June last year to examine this plan. A consolidated report over the proposal was submitted in December as the task force stressed a woman must be at least 21 years old at the time of her first pregnancy.

Illustrative, the consequence if delayed in marriages sounds a positive financial, social, and health impact on families, society, and children. Also, that would promote the need for education and learning for girls, helping in building a strong nation.

Hence, the Centre on Wednesday has passed a proposal claiming that women’s minimum age would be 21. Presently, the minimum age of marriage for men is 21, but for women, it is 18.

Updated by Zeba Gouhar