West Bengal records 60,000 minor births in first six months of 2026: CM

West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari speaks during a press conference on the flood situation in Kolkata. | Photo credit: ANI

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday (September 7, 2026) expressed grave concern over the high prevalence of child marriages leading to under-age pregnancies and births in the state, saying the state had recorded nearly 60,000 institutional under-age births in the first six months of 2026.

Details of institutional births of minors from January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 have been obtained from the Health Ministry and the figures are alarming, Mr. Adhikari said.

“As a result of the last government, we are now number one in two criteria across the country – marriage of girls under 18 and birth before 18. These numbers are so high that there are not enough jails to accommodate these people,” the chief minister said while addressing reporters at the State Secretariat.

Mr. Adhikari read out the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), 2012, adding that the Act prohibits marriage with a child below the age of 18 years. In such cases, “police action will be initiated and arrests will be made,” he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the practice of child marriage cannot be allowed to prevail and the Ministry of Health will issue a notice of the case to the perpetrators, especially the husband, who will have to prove within a month that he and his “wife” are of legal age.

“If they fail to do so, the DGP (Director General of Police), who is sitting right next to me, will take action in accordance with the law,” Mr. Adhikari said. The state government will stop providing benefits to these families under all central and state government welfare schemes, he said. He added that action would be taken against the priest and qazi who performed the marriage and other family members.

After sharing detailed data on minor pregnancy cases, the Chief Minister said that 12,847 institutional deliveries of minor girls were recorded in Murshidabad district alone, followed by 4,178 in South 24 Parganas.

West Bengal has seen the highest number of child marriages in the past few years, despite schemes in place to keep girls in schools. According to the Sample Registration Survey report released in September 2025, West Bengal recorded 6.3% of women marrying before the age of 18, while nationally, 2.1% of women married before the age of 18. Murshidabad remains a hotspot for child marriage. About 55.4% of women in the district between the ages of 20 and 24 reported being married before the age of 18, according to the National Family Health Survey-5.

However, experts working in the field say that child marriage is a complex problem that includes not only parental or social pressure, but also cases of elopement and underage bridegrooms. They warn that arresting spouses can place a burden on already marginalized families and adversely affect marital relationships.

Published – 07 Sep 2026 23:23 IST