Assam Pioneered Child Marriage Crackdowns. UN Decision Adds A Silver Lining

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's decision to designate November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, describing it as global recognition of an issue that Assam has been pursuing through sustained enforcement and social measures.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on September 4, giving the issue a dedicated international observance aimed at strengthening awareness and action against child marriage. The UN says that international days are intended to promote awareness and action on issues of global concern.

The move is a big global endorsement for the Just Rights for Children campaign and NDTV's campaign against child marriages. NDTV and Just Rights for Children have been running the Child Marriage Free India campaign since 2023.

NDTV's Global Impact: UN Declares November 27 International Day Against Child Marriage

Assam played a pivotal role in setting a narrative against child marriages that has made the entire country take note. It was the first state to start large-scale crackdowns against child marriage regularly.

According to figures cited by the Assam government, 12,196 child marriage cases were registered over the past five years, with more than 11,000 arrests. Sarma has also announced a fresh 30-day statewide enforcement campaign.

Reacting to the UNGA decision, the chief minister asserted in a post on X that child and forced marriage "has no place in our society". Highlighting Assam's crackdown, he said that more than 12,000 cases have been registered and over 11,000 people arrested in the state.

A separate study covering 1,132 villages across 20 districts reported an 81 per cent decline in reported child marriages in Assam, with cases falling from 3,225 in 2021-22 to 627 in 2023-24.

The Assam model inspired other states and set an example.

The Assam campaign intensified in 2023, when Assam Police launched large-scale action under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. Cases involving minors have also attracted provisions of the POCSO Act, depending on the circumstances. Assam has subsequently combined enforcement with measures aimed at keeping girls in education.

One such initiative is the Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina scheme, which provides financial support to girl students pursuing higher secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate education. The government has described the scheme as part of its effort to discourage early marriage and encourage girls to continue their studies.

Sarma has repeatedly set 2026 as the target for eliminating child marriage in Assam, while the state has also cited increases in girls' higher education enrollment and reductions in teenage pregnancies alongside its crackdown.

NDTV has followed the issue extensively, reporting on Assam's major enforcement drives, arrests, the reported decline in child marriages, and the government's education-focused initiatives. With the UN now giving November 27 an international observance, Assam's campaign has gained a new global context, linking the state's enforcement drive with a wider international push to protect children from early and forced marriage.