New Delhi: The Union Cabinet clears the proposal and raises the minimum age of a woman for marriage from 18 to 21 as the same as a man. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after one year that the plan is under review. During his last year’s Independence Day speech, Prime Minister mention this proposal.
Narendra Modi said in his speech, “This government is constantly concerned about the health of daughters and sisters. To save the daughters from malnutrition, they must be married at the right age.”
In the present time, the minimum marriage age for men is 21 but for women, this is 18. The Indian government is looking at the changes to the Special Marriage Act, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, and the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 to bring the plan into action.
Section 5(3) of the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 sets that the minimum age for a bride is 18 years and for the groom, it is 21. Also the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 and The Special Marriage Act 1954 told the same as 18 and 21 years is the minimum age for marriage for women and men.
The NITI Aayog task force directed by Jaya Jaitly had backed the recommendation. The task force was made in last year June month.
Senior officials of the Health Ministry, Top government expert VK Paul, Law Ministry were among the members of the task force.
In December the recommendation on the proposal of women’s marriage age was submitted by the task force. As they stressed the marriage age of a woman and told that a woman must be at least 21 years old age during their first pregnancy.
Task force director Jaya Jaitly quoted the lines on the press, “I want to make clear that our reasoning behind the recommendation was never one of population control. Recent data released by NFHS 5 (National Family Health Survey) have already shown that the Total Fertility Rate is decreasing and the population is under control. The idea behind it (the recommendation) is the empowerment of women.”
The delayed marriage of a woman has positive impacts in various sectors such as financial, social, and health impacts on families, society, and children.
