Child Marriage in India: A Study of Situation, Causes & Enforcement of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act

The practice of early marriage of children is not confined to India but it is a global problem. The practice of child marriage in India may be dates back to the ancient period however, during the Muslim rule in India, the practice of child marriage was found more prevalent in northern states. It is the advent of different forms of culture which came in from the northern borders which may have influenced by various communities to resort to early marriages. The main reason of early marriage is associated with cultural traditions and customs, economic hardship, poverty, educational backwardness and social pressure from within the community to marry daughters before attaining puberty. However, there are multiple reasons that sustain the practice of child marriage in India. Bringing to an end to child marriage is a daunting challenge because parents who understand the negative consequences of child marriage may find it hard to resist economic, cultural and societal pressures. However, wide spread of education and consistent efforts of civil society organizations for advocacy against the practice of child marriage may change the societal mind set in the long run. Poverty is another major challenge that needs to be addressed to stop the practice of child marriage. Besides the prevailing practice of dowry and increasing cost of marriage ceremonies are the contributing factors for the sustenance of the practice. The enforcement machinery of legislation, laws and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act is reported to be weak in most of the parts of the country. Thus, there is need to strengthen the machinery of law enforcement in India. Against this view point, the present study purports to analyze the current situation, causes, and consequences of child marriage and also enforcement of Child Marriage Prohibition Act.