Bill to raise women's age of marriage to 21 yrs gets govt nod

New Delhi, December 16

The government has cleared a Bill proposing to increase the minimum age of marriage for women from current 18 years to 21 years.

Sources said the Union Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval to the proposal.

Editorial: Raising girls’ age to marry

The PM had mentioned in his Independence Day speech last year that a plan in that regard was under consideration.“This government is concerned about the health of daughters and sisters. To save daughters from malnutrition, it is necessary they are married at the right age,” Modi had then said.

At present, the minimum age of marriage for men is 21, but for women, it is 18 years.

Proposed amendments

• The Union Cabinet decision is based on the recommendation of a four-member task force led by Jaya Jaitly
• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act and the Hindu Marriage Act likely to be amended

As per the proposal, the government aims to bring in changes to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act and the Hindu Marriage Act to bring the new age for marriage for women into effect, sources said. A Niti Aayog task force headed by Jaya Jaitly had backed the proposal, they added. Senior government expert VK Paul, senior officials of the Health Ministry, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Law Ministry were among members of the task force that was set up in June last year.

The task force submitted its report in December last year. It had stressed that a woman must be at least 21 years in age at the time of first pregnancy.

Delay in marriages has a positive financial, social and health impact on families, society and children, they added. — TNS

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