Maharashtra Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Aditi Tatkare on Saturday, 30 May declared that a 'child marriage-free Maharashtra' is the state government's ultimate goal, announcing that her department has built a modern, community-backed enforcement system that stopped 1,450 child marriages in the current year alone — up from 1,400 prevented in the previous year.

A Community-Driven Campaign

The initiative moves well beyond conventional law enforcement. According to Minister Tatkare, ordinary citizens have been mobilised at every level, creating a collective, ground-up approach to eradication. The results, she said, speak for themselves: thousands of young girls have been pulled back from the brink of early marriage through a combination of public vigilance, administrative action, and social outreach.

On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya — historically a peak period for child marriages — authorities intercepted and stopped 34 child marriages in a single day. The minister noted that citizens are increasingly coming forward independently to report cases, a sign that the campaign is gaining social traction.

Tackling Root Causes: Migrant Labour and Safety Gaps

Minister Tatkare identified migrant labour as a critical demographic driver of child marriages, particularly in the Marathwada region. When parents are engaged in daily wage work throughout the day, leaving a 12-to-14-year-old daughter home alone creates acute safety anxieties — anxieties that, she said, often push families toward early marriage as a perceived solution.

To address this vulnerability directly, the WCD department has established dedicated 'Bal Gruh' shelters where young girls can live safely and continue their education uninterrupted. A modern digital tracking portal has also been launched specifically for children of migrant workers. The system ensures that when families move across districts for work, their children are seamlessly enrolled at the nearest local anganwadi — preventing any child from falling off the welfare grid.

Zero-Tolerance Enforcement

The department has adopted an aggressive legal posture under Minister Tatkare's direct supervision. Cases are now filed not only against parents who arrange child marriages, but also against priests who conduct them, middlemen who facilitate them, and guests who attend. This broad net of accountability, she said, has sent a powerful deterrent signal through society.

The District Child Protection Unit of Ahilyanagar exemplified this enforcement intensity between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026: 155 child marriages were stopped, 15 FIRs were registered against families attempting or encouraging child marriages, and not a single underage mother was identified among the prevented cases.

POCSO Provisions and Reporting Channels

Minister Tatkare reiterated that if an underage mother is identified anywhere in the state, offences will be registered directly under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. She urged citizens to report child marriages or underage mothers immediately via the Child Helpline at 1098. Complaints can also be directed to the District Women and Child Development Officer, the District Child Protection Unit, or the local District Child Helpline office.

With institutional infrastructure now in place and citizen participation rising, the state is expected to intensify its push ahead of the next peak marriage season.