Apni Beti, Apna Dhan (ABAD), which translates to „My daughter, my wealth,“ is one of India`s first conditional cash transfer programs dedicated to delaying youth marriages across the country. In 1994, the Indian government implemented this program in the state of Haryana. When the mother`s first, second or third child is born, she receives $500, or $11, within the first 15 days to meet her postpartum needs. In addition, the government gives $2,500 or $35 to invest in a long-term savings bond in the name of the subsidiary, which can then be redeemed for $25,000 or $350 after its 18th birthday. She can only receive the money if she is not married. Anju Malhotra, an expert on child and adolescent marriage, said of the scheme: „No other conditional cash transfer is aimed at delaying marriage. It is an incentive to encourage parents to value their daughters. [10] But there have been judicial interventions that have disapproved of interfaith marriage, and the BJP governments of the U.P. and Haryana have proposed measures to prevent what they call the „jihad of love.“ Increased surveillance of privacy by the state and vigilante groups is a reality. On December 16, Narendra Modi`s government decided to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal and a bill amending the Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2006 (PCMA) was introduced in Parliament.

The bill is expected to be passed when Parliament reconvenes early next year. The Indian government has proposed raising the minimum legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21. Currently, the legal age for marriage is 18; For men, the corresponding age is 21 years. A bill to formalize such a change in law was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 21. However, after opposition from opposition parties, it was sent to a parliamentary body for further evaluation. According to the draft law, the new minimum age for women should prevail over all personnel laws; Therefore, the legal age of marriage will be raised for all women, regardless of their religion. In 1978, the Indian government raised the legal age from 15 to 18 for girls and from 18 to 21 for boys. Proponents of raising the family age for women argue that currently many girls are forced to drop out of university to marry, and that raising the legal age of marriage to 21 would give them time to continue their education and provide higher education.

Another claim is that teenage pregnancies increase the possibility of high blood pressure, anemia, and many other health problems in the mother, and can also lead to serious pregnancy complications that can lead to the death of the mother. For this reason, raising the age of marriage for girls could help reduce the maternal mortality rate. Early marriages also cause mental health problems, according to studies, so raising the legal age is believed to reduce the possibility of mental health problems among child brides. Finally, the decision is also presented as an affirmation of the principle of gender neutrality by aligning the minimum age of women with that of men. On the other hand, opponents of the amendment argue that child marriage is currently widespread in India, despite it being prohibited by law. According to the National Family Health Survey (2019/2021), one-quarter of women aged 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the incidence of child marriage has increased worldwide. Therefore, the problem lies in the implementation of existing laws. It is therefore argued that instead of raising the minimum age of child marriage by law, the root cause of child marriage should be addressed in order to bring about a change in values in society. In contrast, when girls under 18 flee, parents often use India`s child marriage law for revenge, according to a report by the Legal Resource Group Partner for Law in Development. The report noted that most prosecutions under the law are cases brought by parents against their daughters` romantic relationships with a person of their choice – for example, criminal proceedings against the girl`s husband.

Another concern is that women currently of legal age of 18 have been forced to marry by their families against their will or have not been allowed to be with those they loved and wanted to marry. However, as the legal age is now 21, girls will not be able to marry as soon as possible after their choice, and they will be forced to live with their controlling and intrusive families for an extended period of time. This time could also be abused by patriarchal families to restrict and control their activities. In this context, there is also no guarantee that raising the legal age limit will enable more families to provide education for girls. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chairman Asaduddin Owasi called the bill „ridiculous“ and said women and men would be legally allowed to marry at the age of 18. If they are treated as adults by law for all other purposes, why not for marriage? In a series of tweets, Owaisi criticized the government for its „paternalism.“ The states with the highest marriage rates for girls under 18 in 2009, according to a report by India`s Registrar General, were Jharkhand (14.1%), West Bengal (13.6%), Bihar (9.3%), Uttar Pradesh (8.9%) and Assam (8.8%). [4] According to the report, despite the sharp decline in child marriage rates since 1991, 7% of 18-year-old women in India were still married in 2009. UNICEF India has played an important role in highlighting Indian data on the prevalence of child marriage rates from its study in the 1990s. In India, the legal age of marriage is currently 18 for girls and 21 for boys. Mitharwal says several of his friends were married off by his family as soon as they turned 18. „At this age, girls are not prepared for marriage,“ she says. „They have just graduated from high school when their parents arrange their marriage and finish school.“ A bride in India.

There is a movement to get the government to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21. Rafiq Maqbool / AP Hiding the legend Irani said 23 percent of girls under 18 were married, despite a law prohibiting it. Around 2 million cases of child marriage were arrested in 2015-2020, she said.