Child marriage cases rise six-fold in 2023, nearly 17,000 girls kidnapped for marriage: NCRB

Cases registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act jumped six times in 2023 compared to the previous year, with Assam alone accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the total cases, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau ( NCRB) data.

The NCRB data also revealed that 16,737 girls and 129 boys were kidnapped or abducted "for marriage" in 2023.

The report further shows that 6,038 cases were filed under the Act in 2023, a sharp rise from 1,002 cases in 2022 and 1,050 in 2021.

Among these, Assam reported 5,267 cases, making it the state with the highest number of cases. Other states with higher figures in the list include Tamil Nadu (174), Karnataka (145) and West Bengal (118).

Several states and Union Territories such as Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Ladakh and Lakshadweep reported no cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act during the year.

The Act, enacted in 2006, prohibits marriage of girls below the age of 18 and boys below 21, and criminalises those who organise, perform or facilitate such marriages.