Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: SINCE its launch, the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) mission has made substantial strides in curbing child marriages across the country, achieving key enforcement and awareness milestones that align with national child protection goals. A cornerstone of this progress is the nationwide deployment of dedicated Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), as mandated under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006.
These officers, empowered through state-level directives have conducted proactive interventions, including door-to-door awareness drives and rapid-response teams linked to the national Child Helpline (1098). A standout enforcement highlight was the 2025 Akshaya Tritiya directive issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), which targeted culturally sensitive high-risk periods for mass weddings.
Heightened monitoring
This led to heightened monitoring, resulting in the prevention of hundreds of child marriage cases through judicial injunctions, community counselling, and FIR filings.
On the international front, BVMB has garnered strong global endorsement, particularly from Unicef, which has provided technical support for data-driven interventions and capacity-building workshops for CMPOs and one-stop centres. Aligned with SDG 5.3 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), these achievements position India as a leader in South Asia for scalable, multi-sectoral anti-child marriage strategies, with ongoing convergence across health, education, and rural development ministries.
Chhattisgarh milestone
Balod district in Chhattisgarh has achieved a historic milestone by becoming India’s first child marriage-free district. For two consecutive years, not a single child marriage has been reported across its 436 Gram Panchayats and nine urban local bodies. This remarkable feat is the result of sustained Government interventions, active community participation, and widespread awareness drives.
Riding on Balod’s success, Chhattisgarh now aims to make the entire state completely free from child marriage by 2028–29. In another remarkable instance in the same state, Surajpur district set a powerful example in social reform and community awareness. On September 17, 2025, coinciding with the launch of Poshan Maah 2025, the district administration proudly declared 75 village panchayats as ‘Child Marriage-Free Panchayats’.
India’s journey to eradicate child marriage stems from 19th-century reforms and the Sarda Act of 1929 and continues to the robust Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the landmark 2024 Supreme Court judgment. It has yielded remarkable progress, with prevalence dropping significantly over the decades.
The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, launched in November 2024 and bolstered by the ongoing 100-day intensive awareness drive, represents a pivotal escalation in this fight. Through dedicated Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, the BVMB portal’s tech-enabled reporting, and grassroots successes, the initiative drives prevention, protection, and empowerment.
As millions participate in pledges, crucial efforts not only challenge deeprooted social norms but also align with Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 and the vision of a Viksit Bharat. Sustained collective action, from Government, communities, NGOs, and citizens, holds the promise of breaking cycles of inequality, ensuring every child’s right to education, health, and autonomy. With unwavering commitment, India can achieve a truly child marriage-free future, empowering generations of girls and boys to thrive.
