Jammu and Kashmir sees decline in child marriage cases over past three years

New Delhi, Apr 05: Jammu and Kashmir has seen a decline in child marriage cases in the country over the past three years, according to official data tabled in Parliament.

Despite the decline in numbers, the officials and rights groups urged government for regular vigilance, especially in rural pockets and conflict-affected areas where underreporting remains a concern.

According to data shared by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in the Lok Sabha on Friday, only five cases were registered in Jammu and Kashmir under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, between 2020 and 2022 – one in 2020, two each in 2021 and 2022.

With decline in numbers, the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir has been placed at 30^th out of 36 states and union territories in terms of reported cases. The neighbouring Ladakh, meanwhile, recorded zero cases in this period.

The source of the data is the Crime in India report published annually by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which compiles state and Union Territory-wise information under the PCMA. Nationally, a total of 2,837 cases were registered over the same period, with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam accounting for a significant share.

Although the figures for Jammu and Kashmir may appear encouraging, officials in the Union Territory stress that low reporting does not necessarily imply the complete absence of child marriages. “We cannot afford complacency,” said a senior official in the Social Welfare Department in Srinagar. “In regions where law enforcement faces multiple challenges, and where community pressure can suppress complaints, the real picture may differ.”

The Government of India, in response to the growing national concern, launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign in November 2024 to accelerate awareness and prevention. As part of the campaign, a dedicated portal has been rolled out to facilitate reporting and enable public access to details of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) across India.

In Jammu and Kashmir, CMPOs have been appointed at the district level and are tasked with monitoring potential violations, counselling families, and intervening in cases reported through the Childline helpline (1098), which has now been integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (112). Additionally, the Union Territory benefits from programmes under Mission Shakti and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, which include awareness campaigns in schools and communities.