Assam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Assam’s anti-child marriage model and said that it can soon be adopted in National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruled states. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told in New Delhi on Monday night that he had given a presentation on Assam’s strategy in the recently held Chief Ministers’ Conference. After this presentation, Prime Minister Modi advised officials of all NDA ruled states to visit Assam and see the working there. Sarma told the press that the Prime Minister has directed the NDA governments to learn from Assam and adopt a similar strategy.
Serious situation of child marriage in Assam
Assam has long been grappling with the serious problem of child marriage. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), 31.8% of women in the age group of 20-24 in Assam were married before the legal age of 18. This is much higher than the national average of 23.3%. Chief Minister Sarma’s government took a tough stand on this problem in 2022. Along with strictly enforcing the law, the government also launched large-scale awareness campaigns. This proved to be a turning point in the fight against child marriage in Assam.
The #Assam model of combating #childmarriage may soon be replicated across NDA-ruled states, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging officials to study the state’s approach closely.#TheAssamTribune @PMOIndia @CMOfficeAssam
Read more: https://t.co/FRsazS8lqH
— The Assam Tribune (@assamtribuneoff) May 27, 2025
The effect of Assam’s strategy was seen
The effect of Assam’s efforts has been quite impressive. According to the 2024 report of India Child Protection (ICP), there was an 81% decline in child marriage cases in 20 districts between 2021-22 and 2023-24. Assam is being praised at the national level for this great success. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairman Priyank Kanungo praised the Assam government and said that it has shown the way forward to the country. After this success, now preparations are being made for a coordinated national campaign across the country in which Assam’s strategy can be adopted.
Center busy preparing for nationwide campaign
The plan to implement the Assam model at the national level has raised a new hope against child marriage across the country. Following the instructions of Prime Minister Modi, the central government may soon work on implementing Assam’s strategy in all NDA ruled states. In this, along with legal strictness, there will be special emphasis on spreading awareness among the people. Chief Minister Sarma said that if every state of the country adopts this model, then social evils like child marriage can be completely stopped in the coming years. This campaign will not only provide education and self-reliance to girls but will also change the direction of society.
