Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Context: Parliamentary Standing Committee tasked with studying the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which proposes to raise the marriage age for girls from 18 to 21
it is learnt that the Parliamentary committee received 95,000 proposals and 90,000 suggestions opposed the Bill
This law repealed and overridden the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act (PCMA),2006
Key Amendments made in the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act
- Section 2 of the Child Marriages Act under which child now refers to any male or female who has not attained the age 21 years notwithstanding any such law or customary practice opposed to this amendment
- Changed into 2 years from years in section3(3) of the Act, which deals with the child filing a petition for the annulment of the marriage. before this amendment child can only file for annulment only before completing 5 years of majority
- Section 14A states that other laws relating to marriage to increase the minimum age of marriage of females under those laws to 21 years which are i) Indian Christian Marriages Act, 1872, ii) Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936 iii) Special marriages Act, 1954 iv) Hindu Marriages Act, 1955 and V) Foreign Marriage Act, 1969
- The Bill adds that the provisions of the Act shall have an overriding effect over any other law, custom, usage or practice governing the parties to the marriage
Reasons for the Amendment
- Both voting and Marriage age cannot be the same because both Boy and girl needs certain maturity because it's for lifetime thing
- With this amendment, Girls can have choices to choose their careers and shape them before their marriage
- It will stop child marriages on a larger scale
- It is applicable to everyone irrespective of caste, religion and faith
