The Government of India has decided to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting of India yesterday aimed at protecting child marriage and women’s health in India.
According to the Indian media, the minimum age for marriage for a woman in India was 18 years.
According to the new decision of the Government of India, the Prevention of Child Marriage Act, which has been in force in India so far, will be amended along with the Hindu Marriage Act and other Acts.
Under current Indian law, a woman must be at least 18 years of age to marry, but a man must have completed 21 years of age to marry.
In his Independence Day speech last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will reconsider the appropriate age for women to marry.
He said it was important for girls in India to get married at the right age to prevent malnutrition and protect their health.
Earlier this year, a group of children in Haryana state made a special request to the Prime Minister to amend the current active marriage law in India and raise the age of marriage for women to 21 years.
However, it is reported that some women activists in India have expressed their displeasure over the decision of the Indian government.
According to a report released by the United Nations in 2017, the Indian government has failed to prevent child marriage. According to the report, 27 percent of girls in India get married before the age of 18.
The majority of them suffer from major health problems due to early marriage and pregnancy, the report said.
