New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) A national campaign against child marriage has reached out to more than six crore people, Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi said on Wednesday, adding that over 28 lakh pledges against the practice have been registered on government portals so far.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the WCD minister said the national campaign – ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ launched on November 27, 2024 – aims to make India free of child marriage through a “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach.
To intensify the efforts, a 100-day special campaign under the initiative was launched on December 4, 2025, focusing on structured and time-bound mobilisation of stakeholders, including schools, religious institutions, service providers and local bodies, she said.
The campaign is being implemented in three thematic phases – sensitisation activities in educational institutions, engagement with religious bodies and marriage-related service providers, and mobilisation of gram panchayats and municipal wards to declare their areas child-marriage-free, the minister said.
A dedicated digital platform – the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (BVMB) portal – enables reporting of child marriage cases, dissemination of information and registration of pledges, which can also be taken through the MyGov portal, she added.
The BVMB portal currently hosts details of more than 60,700 child marriage prohibition officers (CMPOs) across states and Union territories, providing citizens with a centralised and efficient mechanism for early reporting and timely intervention, according to the reply.
Devi said the government is strengthening enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, by building the capacity of the CMPOs, police officers, child protection committees, ASHAs, ANMs and other frontline workers.
She added that under Mission Shakti, the ministry implements the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme to promote gender equality and discourage child marriage, while agencies such as the NCPCR and NALSA are undertaking awareness drives, consultations and providing free legal aid.
The minister also highlighted the role of emergency services such as the Child Helpline 1098, integrated with ERSS-112, and the Women Helpline 181, which provide round-the-clock assistance for prevention of child marriages and related emergencies. PTI AO ARI
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