Though child marriages are an offence, crime and illegal in India, hundreds of child marriages are taking place in remote areas every year.Now, in Rajasthan, the state government has legalized child marriages.
It also said that those who perform child marriages can also register officially.
The Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was introduced in the Assembly asking people to officially register child marriages.
According to the bill, if the minors get married, their parents have to inform the authorities about the wedding details within a month.However, there is uproar to this bill from the opposition parties in the state, including the BJP.
State Legislative Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal said that a marriage certificate is mandatory for widows to get government benefits.That is why marriage registration is made mandatory.
According to Section 8 of the Mandatory Registration of Marriages Act 2009, if the girl is less than 18 years of age and the boy is less than 21 years of age at the time of marriage, their parents must notify the registration officer within 30 days.The Rajasthan government’s bill seems to have legalized child marriage, but it says that it is not the purpose of the bill.
