Ending the Engagement Excuse: How Karnataka is Targeting Child Marriage at its Roots

History tells us that every social revolution has a defining moment, a day when the old order begins to crumble and a new possibility emerges. For India's fight against child marriage, that day was 18th October 2024. On this day, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India issued landmark guidelines mandating the effective implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA). It directed all state governments to take concrete steps to end this crime against children.

By the end of the year (November 2024), the Central Government launched the national campaign 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat', marking a new level of political and institutional resolve to eliminate child marriage. In less than a year, several state governments have taken visible steps forward.

In one such recent move, the Karnataka Government is proposing to amend the PCMA to criminalise not only the act of child marriage, but also the arrangement or engagement of such marriages. This marks a significant shift.

Social evil of child marriage, though already exist as punishable offence under The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, but endeavour of Karnataka government to criminalize even attempt and preparation would help to quick eradication of child marriage at the very inception of agreeing for engagement/Roka/Chheka for child marriage. This step of Karnataka government would glow a rational approach in the awakening of civilized society by bringing better boon to our children. It is a much-needed step that deserves to be replicated across the country.

The draft Bill, which is reportedly expected to be tabled in the upcoming Monsoon session of the Karnataka Legislature, includes two key provisions. One is Section 12A, which renders engagements of minors null and void; and Section 13A, which allows courts to issue injunctions prohibiting such engagements, including those planned by individuals, associations, or community groups.

Why Engagement Always becomes the Sore Point

There are crimes like theft and murder that society quickly condemns. It is not difficult to take sides in these crimes. But then there are other crimes, more insidious, because they are cloaked in tradition, sanctioned by silence, and even celebrated by communities. Child marriage is one such crime. Though illegal under Indian law, it continues to thrive with impunity in many parts of the country. It isn't just overlooked. It is protected.

Families hide it. Neighbours support it. Elders justify it. And entire communities work together to ensure it happens quietly, away from prying eyes and legal scrutiny. That is what makes child marriage so difficult to spot, stop, and solve.

So every time one of our 250 partners at Just Rights for Children hears a whisper about an impending child marriage and prepares to intervene, they know they are up against more than just an event. They are challenging a mindset. They brace for backlash. They face anger, excuses, resistance, and twisted logic disguised as love or tradition. But they show up anyway.

And yet, when our teams arrive, they are often met with denial dressed up as tradition. One of the most common excuses families give is that the event is not a wedding, but "just an engagement ceremony," even though everything from the stage and the music to the gathering points otherwise. We know they are lying. They know the law, or someone among the guests has already informed them. And they know the law cannot do much if it is claimed to be just an engagement. This deliberate confusion is their shield and our obstacle.

The NGO partners of Just Rights for Children, working across 418 districts in India's districts, villages and vulnerable communities, have time and again witnessed the helplessness that comes when children slip through the cracks of the system. When families declare that the occasion is merely an engagement, legal action becomes nearly impossible. We are left with only undertakings and counselling, warning them of the consequences. Yet despite every effort, many families find ways to bypass intervention, quietly moving to another village or even another state to solemnise the marriage away from our eyes.

In Karnataka between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 JRC partners prevented a total of 3,365 child marriages, with 1,457 through legal interventions and 1,908 through undertakings from parents. Additionally, 69 First Information Reports (FIRs) were cumulatively registered against child marriages.

Meanwhile, as per the government records. Karnataka saw 700 reported cases of child marriage last year. This means that at least two children were still pushed into marriage every single day. The National Family Health Survey V (2019-21) reveals that the rate of child marriage in Karnataka stands at 21.3 percent. So the Bill, if passed, will not just bring legal reform but also pave the way for moral and social reform. And it must be passed unanimously by all parties, setting aside their parties' affiliations, and political animosity.

Winds of Change in other States too

Encouragingly, Karnataka is not alone, neither in the prevalence of child marriage nor in the steps being taken. Across the country, several states are waking up to the urgency of the issue and adopting their own approaches to tackle child marriage. Since the launch of Just Rights for Children's 'Child Marriage Free India' campaign a few years ago, we have witnessed a marked shift in how child marriage is viewed, not just by communities but also by governments and law enforcement agencies.

What further accelerated this quiet change, and brought many more stakeholders into active participation, was the Government of India's 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign, launched last year. With everyone converging, India is definitely moving closer to a tipping point on child marriage. The steps being taken today are no longer slow or hesitant. They are steady, determined, and urgent.

In several districts of Rajasthan which witness a spike in child marriages around the festival of Akshaya Tritiya, it is now mandatory for all wedding cards to mention the age of the bride and groom. This measure is aimed at checking the practice of child marriage at the source. Meanwhile, the Bihar government has decided to set up a state-level task force to monitor and assess the actions taken by authorities to prevent and eliminate child marriage. Bihar currently has the second-highest prevalence of child marriage in the country, making this step both urgent and necessary. The Assam government, through its use of legal intervention to crack down on child marriage, has been exemplary over the years and has proved to be an effective deterrent too.

Child marriage is not just a legal violation. It is a theft of agency, of childhood, of futures. For too long, it has survived under the guise of culture and custom, shielded by silence and collective complicity. But now, the tide is turning. With stronger laws, bolder state actions, and growing community resistance, India is finally pushing back against a crime that should have never found acceptance. The road ahead may still be long, but for every child whose wedding is stopped, a door to freedom opens. And that is a fight worth showing up for, every single time.

Author: Sam Chelladurai, Executive Director, Anekal Rehabilitation Education and Development (READ) Centre