Centre given 6 weeks to detail Child Marriage Act enforcement

The Supreme Court of India has allocated a six-week period for the Central government to assemble relevant data and furnish an affidavit on matters pertaining to the enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
In April, the apex court mandated the Centre to provide an updated status report. This report was to specifically highlight collected data from different states on the occurrence and scope of child marriages, the steps undertaken to implement the 2006 Act, and the policies established by the central government to promote the act’s intent.
The court further directed the Centre to liaise with the state governments to keep the court informed about state-level compliance with the appointment of child marriage prohibition officers as stated under section 16 of the Act. The court’s April 13 order also sought clarification on whether these appointed officers were saddled with multiple responsibilities.
The directive was reiterated during a hearing held on Friday before a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud. The bench, also including Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, has granted the Union government six weeks to compile the necessary information and submit an affidavit to the court. The petition will be listed again on September 1, 2023.
The Supreme Court is currently addressing a plea filed by an NGO which raises concerns about the implementation of the 2006 Act. The plea suggests that the Act’s stipulations are not being enforced in their entirety.