State Blocks 13 Child Marriages On Akshaya Tritiya
- Maharashtra's women and child welfare department intervened to stop 13 child marriages statewide on Akshaya Tritiya. - Officials say the interventions occurred across multiple districts and involved minors who were legally under marriageable age. - The action highlights increased enforcement against child marriage during festival periods, according to state authorities (timesofindia.indiatimes.com).
Maharashtra’s women and child development department said it stopped 13 child marriages during Akshaya Tritiya, a festival day that officials say often brings a spike in underage wedding attempts. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) State minister Meghna Sakore Bordikar said the interventions were carried out across multiple districts on Sunday, April 19, 2026, with local officials moving in before the ceremonies could take place. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Deccan Herald reported that the blocked weddings included cases in districts such as Ahilyanagar and Yavatmal, and that authorities warned of legal action against families or organizers who went ahead with child marriages. (deccanherald.com) Under India’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, a “child” is a male under 21 or a female under 18, and marriages involving minors can be stopped by courts and challenged by the child later. (indiacode.nic.in) Akshaya Tritiya is treated as an auspicious date for weddings in many parts of India, which is why state agencies and child protection workers often step up surveillance around the festival. Maharashtra’s women and child development department lists child marriage prevention among its active programs. (womenchild.maharashtra.gov.in) The crackdown also fits into a wider national push. The Union women and child development ministry’s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign says it is focused on monitoring Child Marriage Prohibition Officers and strengthening enforcement against underage marriages. (stopchildmarriage.wcd.gov.in) Child marriage remains a live issue in India despite years of decline. National Family Health Survey-5 data, covering 2019 to 2021, found that 23.3% of women ages 20 to 24 were married before age 18. (india.unfpa.org) Maharashtra’s intervention on a single festival day shows how enforcement now works in practice: district officials, child protection staff and local administrators identify planned ceremonies, contact families and halt weddings before registration or rituals are completed. (deccanherald.com) For now, the state’s message is that festival calendars do not override age limits. The next test will come on other high-wedding dates, when officials will have to repeat the same district-by-district monitoring. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
