Swift Action Prevents Child Marriages in Uttarakhand

The Child Development Department successfully intervened to stop the planned marriages of four minor girls in Uchhola village, Rudraprayag. Following a complaint, officials counseled the families on the legal and health repercussions informed by the newly implemented Uniform Civil Code, which sets the marriageable age at 18.

In a significant breakthrough, the Child Development Department prevented the marriages of four minor girls in Uchhola village, Rudraprayag district, scheduled for next month. This intervention followed a complaint received on the Child Helpline, highlighting the girls' ages as 15 to 17.

The recent enactment of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand stipulates 18 as the legal age for marriage for girls. Taking swift action, a team from the Child Development Department visited the village to counsel families on the legal and adverse health implications of child marriage.

District Programme Officer Akhilesh Mishra and the team, led by Coordinator Deepika, engaged with the families to ensure compliance with the law, subsequently convincing them to halt the marriages until the girls reached adulthood.

(With inputs from agencies.)