The West Bengal Health Department is preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to govern the medical management of girls below the age of 18 who become pregnant — including those who are married — amid a broader state crackdown on child marriage. The move follows a directive from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari that husbands of girls who become mothers before turning 18 will face prosecution under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, with the state government initiating suo motu cases.

Expert Committee Constituted

A nine-member expert committee has already been constituted to frame the SOP. The panel includes Debashis Das, head of the Community Medicine Department at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, along with five obstetricians and gynaecologists: Dr Sanjay Bhattacharya of Uluberia Medical College and Hospital, Dr Saurabh Chatterjee of NRS Medical College and Hospital, Dr Tulika Jha of Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, Dr Shelly Seth of Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital, and Dr Bhaskar Pal of Apollo Hospital.

The committee also includes three Health Department representatives: Deputy Director for Maternal Health Shyamoli Rudra, Family Planning Officer Shaswati Nag, and East Medinipur district Public Health and Nursing Officer Seema Maiti. The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for 18 September.

Why the SOP Is Urgently Needed

According to Health Minister Dr Saradwat Mukhopadhyay, himself a medical practitioner, the incidence of pregnancy among girls below the age of 18 is 'very high' in West Bengal. He has underscored the acute medical risk involved: 'If a minor girl gets pregnant before the age of 18, there is a high possibility that the minor girl might die during pregnancy. Hence, there is a necessity to have an SOP on how such cases will be handled.'

This comes amid persistent data showing that West Bengal has one of the higher rates of child marriage among Indian states, making adolescent maternal mortality a public health concern that goes well beyond individual cases.

What the SOP Is Expected to Cover

The proposed SOP is learnt to include protocols on identification of maternal risks, regular antenatal check-ups, management of anaemia and malnutrition, referral to higher medical centres where necessary, safe delivery, and post-delivery monitoring of both mother and child. A Health Department official indicated that the SOP will specifically mandate that the adolescent be referred to a gynaecologist and obstetrician as soon as pregnancy is confirmed, bringing her immediately under antenatal care.

Legal Backdrop: POCSO and Suo Motu Cases

The health protocol is paired with a legal intervention. Chief Minister Adhikari's announcement that the state will file suo motu POCSO cases against husbands of underage mothers signals a shift from reactive prosecution to proactive enforcement. Under the POCSO Act, sexual activity with a minor — irrespective of marital status — constitutes an offence, a legal position that courts have progressively reinforced. Critics, however, have noted that effective enforcement will depend heavily on local police and healthcare workers reporting cases without fear or favour.

What Comes Next

The expert committee's first sitting on 18 September will set the timeline for finalising the SOP. Once adopted, the protocol will be binding on government hospitals and health centres across West Bengal. The dual approach — a medical SOP paired with POCSO enforcement — could serve as a model for other high-prevalence states, though implementation at the grassroots level remains the critical test.