Telangana has been identified as a key state in the nationwide push to end child marriage with 26 districts earmarked for intensive intervention over the next year.
The effort is part of an initiative announced by Just Rights for Children (JRC), a coalition of more than 250 NGOs, which aims to make childless marriage possible in 100 million villages across India over the next year. These villages fall under the districts identified as high prevalence areas in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) V (2019–21).
The announcement coincides with the first anniversary of the Union government’s ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign. NFHS-V data shows that 23.5% of women in Telangana are married before 18 years, which is slightly above the national average of 23.3%. The situation varies significantly from district to district, with prevalence rates above 30% in eight districts including Vikarabad, Khammam, Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanapartha, Nagarkurnool, Medak, Kamareddy and Sangareddy. Nine other districts exceed the national average.
Working with 11 partner organizations in Telangana, JRC has prevented 10,518 child marriages in the state in the last year alone. Nationally, the network reports stopping more than 100,000 child marriages in the same period, making it the largest civil society organization working to protect children.
Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of the JRC, emphasized the need for deeper community engagement in the coming year. “The role of community groups, religious leaders, panchayats and citizens is crucial to building an India free of child marriage. The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign has become a model for the world. It is also a celebration of our collective work to end this crime against children,” he said.
The JRC’s work draws on the 3P model – Protection, Prevention and Prosecution – which it credits with preventing more than 4.35 million child marriages across India between April 2023 and November 2025.
To mark one year of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a 100-day intensive action plan that will culminate on March 8, 2026.
The plan is divided into three phases, with the first phase targeting awareness programs in educational institutions, followed by religious places and marriage-related service providers including temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, wedding halls and group parties in the second phase. Gram panchayats and municipal departments to strengthen involvement and ownership at the community level would be part of the third phase.
Published – 06 Dec 2025 20:47 IST
