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NEW DELHI: The parliamentary panel assigned the task to study the ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ that seeks to raise the age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 bringing it on par with men has been given yet another extension by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. As per the parliamentary bulletin, the panel has been given time for four months till May to examine the issue and submit its report.
The parliamentary department related standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports affairs has been given repeated extensions since it was referred after the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in Dec 2021.It was supposed to submit its report on January 24. However, with this extension it is evident that no outcome on the issue is likely in the current tenure of the BJP government.
Moreover, with the budget session starting on January 31, being the last one before the Lok Sabha polls, it is clear now that the Bill will not make it to Parliament. The Bill is expected to lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and its revival and re-introduction will depend on the will of new government after the elections.
The Bill under scrutiny of the panel according to the government proposes to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, “to reinforce its application in relation to marriage; bring women at par with men in terms of marriageable age; prohibit child marriage; make consequential amendments to the other laws relating to marriage; and other connected matters”.
After introducing the Bill during the winter session of Parliament in December 2021 in the Lok Sabha amid protests from the opposition, women and child development minister Smriti Irani had sought that the Bill be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.
The panel was originally given three months till March 2022 to submit its report. However, after the initial rounds of consultations and divergent viewpoints emerging in support and against the provisions of the bill, the Committee recognised the complexities involved and felt the need for more wide ranging consultations on the proposed amendments including a study of the personal laws with regards to age of marriage and diverse traditions related to marriage among tribal communities.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the union budget for 2020-21 had announced “women’s age of marriage was increased from fifteen years to eighteen years in 1978, by amending erstwhile Sharda Act of 1929. As India progresses further, opportunities open up for women to pursue higher education and careers. There are imperatives of lowering MMR as well as improvement of nutrition levels. Entire issue about the age of a girl entering motherhood needs to be seen in this light.” A task force was set-up in keeping with the announcement to study the issue and submit a report.
In his Independence Day speech in 2020, PM Modi said that a decision on “what should be the right age of marriage for girls” would be taken as soon as a committee set-up to study the issue gives its report. “To end malnutrition among girls, to assess what should be the age of marriage, we have set-up a committee. As soon as the report of the committee comes, appropriate decisions about the age of marriage of girls will also be taken,” he said.
The Bill was formulated and approved by the cabinet in December 2021 and introduced in the same month in Lok Sabha. After introducing the Bill in the House on Tuesday afternoon, woman and child development minister Smriti Irani sought that the Bill be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny and said that the government was open to further discussion on it.
Meanwhile, protesting opposition members had hit out at the government for the introduction of the bill in a “hurry” and “without any consultation with stakeholders” and demanded that the Bill be sent to a standing committee. The Bill was thereafter referred to the Parliamentary committee where it is still under scrutiny.
The parliamentary department related standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports affairs has been given repeated extensions since it was referred after the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in Dec 2021.It was supposed to submit its report on January 24. However, with this extension it is evident that no outcome on the issue is likely in the current tenure of the BJP government.
Moreover, with the budget session starting on January 31, being the last one before the Lok Sabha polls, it is clear now that the Bill will not make it to Parliament. The Bill is expected to lapse with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and its revival and re-introduction will depend on the will of new government after the elections.
The Bill under scrutiny of the panel according to the government proposes to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, “to reinforce its application in relation to marriage; bring women at par with men in terms of marriageable age; prohibit child marriage; make consequential amendments to the other laws relating to marriage; and other connected matters”.
After introducing the Bill during the winter session of Parliament in December 2021 in the Lok Sabha amid protests from the opposition, women and child development minister Smriti Irani had sought that the Bill be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.
The panel was originally given three months till March 2022 to submit its report. However, after the initial rounds of consultations and divergent viewpoints emerging in support and against the provisions of the bill, the Committee recognised the complexities involved and felt the need for more wide ranging consultations on the proposed amendments including a study of the personal laws with regards to age of marriage and diverse traditions related to marriage among tribal communities.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the union budget for 2020-21 had announced “women’s age of marriage was increased from fifteen years to eighteen years in 1978, by amending erstwhile Sharda Act of 1929. As India progresses further, opportunities open up for women to pursue higher education and careers. There are imperatives of lowering MMR as well as improvement of nutrition levels. Entire issue about the age of a girl entering motherhood needs to be seen in this light.” A task force was set-up in keeping with the announcement to study the issue and submit a report.
In his Independence Day speech in 2020, PM Modi said that a decision on “what should be the right age of marriage for girls” would be taken as soon as a committee set-up to study the issue gives its report. “To end malnutrition among girls, to assess what should be the age of marriage, we have set-up a committee. As soon as the report of the committee comes, appropriate decisions about the age of marriage of girls will also be taken,” he said.
The Bill was formulated and approved by the cabinet in December 2021 and introduced in the same month in Lok Sabha. After introducing the Bill in the House on Tuesday afternoon, woman and child development minister Smriti Irani sought that the Bill be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny and said that the government was open to further discussion on it.
Meanwhile, protesting opposition members had hit out at the government for the introduction of the bill in a “hurry” and “without any consultation with stakeholders” and demanded that the Bill be sent to a standing committee. The Bill was thereafter referred to the Parliamentary committee where it is still under scrutiny.
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