Seeing the rise in child marriages, the child rights body developed a format of activities and asked for district-wise action-taken reports.The NCPCR also asked the states to identify children who have dropped out, are out of school, or do not attend school regularly. They also asked authorities to map schools where children are absent without information.The idea was to identify at-risk children and prevent their possible marriages. While 11,49,023 children were identified, 6,16,897 schools were mapped.As many as 280,289 villages and blocks were targeted where awareness programmes were carried out.The report said that child marriage constitutes a severe violation of children’s rights, exposing them to heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and abuse.While affecting both genders, girls are disproportionately impacted. It involves the marriage of individuals under the age of 18, encompassing both formal and informal unions where minors cohabit as if married, it said.”Child marriage deprives children of their childhood and significantly infringes upon their rights to education, health, and protection, with far-reaching consequences for individuals, families, and communities,” the report added.”Girls married as children encounter obstacles in education, financial independence, and community participation, facing increased risks of domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and complications from early childbirth,” it said and added that it has adverse economic effects and perpetuates intergenerational poverty cycles.Early marriage hinders the acquisition of skills necessary to lift families out of poverty and contribute to national social and economic development.Moreover, it imposes financial burdens on households due to early childbirth.Insufficient resource allocation for addressing child marriage is partly due to the absence of a compelling economic rationale for its eradication.
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