Parliamentary Panel examining Bill to increase minimum age of marriage for women gets another extension

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2021

October 18, 2023 03:11 pm | Updated 07:36 pm IST - New Delhi

Image for representation purpose only. File

Image for representation purpose only. File | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

A parliamentary committee examining a Bill which seeks to increase the age of marriage of women from the present 18 to 21 years has been granted a fresh three-month extension to table its report.  

Explained | Why is the Supreme Court examining marriage laws for minors?

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2021 and was referred to the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports. The panel has received multiple extensions since it began its deliberations. The last meeting that the panel held on the Bill was on May 17, 2022. The 31-member committee has only three women MPs. 

According to a Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on October 17, House Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has granted another three-month extension to the panel till January 24, 2024 to examine and present its report on the Bill. The Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports functions under the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

Explained | How is India planning to end child marriage?

Soon after introducing the Bill, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani had requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to refer the Bill to the Standing Committee for detailed examination. The Bill seeks to bring parity in the minimum age of marriage for men and women overriding all existing laws, including any custom, usage, or practice governing the parties in relation to marriage.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.