Last Updated on January 8, 2026 10:44 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
SUDHIR KUMAR / NEW DELHI
The government has said that the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign is aimed at reducing the prevalence of child marriage by 10 per cent by 2026 and making India child marriage-free by 2030.
Launched in November 2024 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the initiative focuses on eradicating child marriages across the country. This campaign addresses a pervasive social issue that disproportionately affects young children, especially girls in a majority of cases, and particularly from the marginalised communities.
Since its launch, this mission has made substantial strides in curbing child marriages across India, achieving key enforcement and awareness milestones that align with national child protection goals. Balod district in Chhattisgarh has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the country’s first child marriage-free district. For two consecutive years, not a single child marriage has been reported across its 436 Gram Panchayats and 9 urban local bodies.
In another remarkable instance, Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh set a powerful example in social reform and community awareness. In September last year, the district administration declared 75 village panchayats as Child Marriage-Free Panchayats.