NCPCR Requests Odisha Government to Identify Vulnerable Children and Prevent Child Marriage

In an important step towards preventing child marriage, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the Odisha government to actively identify vulnerable children and take preventive steps before Akshaya Tritiya on April 30—a day traditionally marked by a spurt in child marriages.

For this purpose, the commission has instructed the district education officers to prepare school-wise, detailed reports of students with irregular attendance, school dropouts, and out-of-school children. District collectors are to receive the reports by April 4, so that focused intervention strategies may be adopted.

Based on this information, NCPCR has suggested that the state government screen vulnerable children and direct child marriage prevention officers to guide their parents. This will help to stop child marriage by creating awareness and involving families in intervention activities before the situation gets out of control.

While girl child marriages have declined marginally in Odisha, the trend is still troubling—especially where child bridegrooms are concerned. Based on National Family Health Survey (NFHS) trends, the rate of girl child marriages has come down marginally from 21.3% in NFHS-4 to 20.5% in NFHS-5. Incidentally, however, the prevalence of boys getting married before they turn 21 legally has frighteningly gone up from 11% in NFHS-4 to 13.3% in NFHS-5.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, NCPCR has identified 50 high-risk panchayats in Odisha where child marriages are common. The commission plans to set up an early warning system in these areas, ensuring timely intervention to stop child marriages and reduce their long-term socio-economic impacts.

Through this initiative, NCPCR highlights the necessity of a multi-pronged strategy involving education, awareness generation, and policy-driven interventions to safeguard children from the vicious cycle of early marriage and its long-term consequences.