Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 27^th Session (1-12 May 2017) on Child Marriage: 3^rd UPR of India. [Geneva, 4 May 2017]

In case of child marriage, the steps to prevent child marriage include legislation, capacity building programmes and awareness generation at all levels. Child marriage would here include early marriage or forced marriage. As per Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, giving a child into marriage is considered as cruelty and such child will be treated as child in need of care and protection. This law is in addition to and not in derogation of the provisions of any other law for the time being in force and, in case of any inconsistency, the provisions of this Act shall have overriding effect. The District Child Protection Units register cases against forced child marriages that have resulted in pregnancy under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. These acts are very widely known.

2. The average age of marriage for both men and women in India is steadily going up. This shows that the interventions being made by the government are consistently showing results. This was a social practice that prevailed for a very long time and hence the results have taken time.

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