Hyderabad: The union cabinet approved the proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years old on Wednesday, a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated the idea was under review.
The proposal was mentioned by Prime Minister Modi during his Independence Day speech last year.
According to Prime Minister Modi “The health of daughters and sisters is a continual concern for our government. To protect the girls from starvation, they must marry at the appropriate age,” according to Prime Minister Modi.
Men are currently required to be 21 years old to marry, while women are required to be 18 years old. To put the plan into reality, the government is considering amending the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act, and the Hindu Marriage Act. The plan was endorsed by a NITI Aayog work team led by Jaya Jaitly.
The task team, which was formed in June last year, included top government experts VK Paul, senior officials from the health ministry, the ministry of women and child development, and the law ministry.
The proposal’s suggestions were filed in December, with the task committee emphasising that a woman must be at least 21 years old at the time of her first pregnancy.
Marriage postponement benefits families, society, and children financially, socially, and health-wise.