The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, the same as it is for men on Wednesday. This approval comes over a year after Prime Minister
Narendra Modi announced the proposal on India's Independence Day, in the year 2020.
The proposal is based on the suggestions of a task force established by the Centre to look into concerns such as maternal age, the imperatives of lowering MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate),
nutritional levels, and other linked issues."
The plan was mentioned by Prime Minister Modi during his Independence Day speech last year.
"The health of daughters and sisters is a constant concern for our government. To protect the daughters from malnutrition, they must marry at the appropriate age," said PM Modi.
Currently, for men, the legal age to get married is 21, while for women, it is 18.
To put the plan into action, the government is considering amending the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act, and the Hindu Marriage Act.
The task force's suggestion came "after extensive discussions with professionals, and more significantly with young adults, especially young women, as the decision directly impacts
them," said Jaya Jaitly, a former member of the Samata Party who headed the task force.
The move, according to Jaitly, was made to empower women rather than manage the population, as data from the NFHS 5 (National Family Health Survey) has already revealed that the Total Fertility
Rate is down and the population is under control.
As per Jaitly, the task force took feedback from 16 universities and worked with over 15 non-governmental organisations to reach out to young people, particularly in rural and marginalised
communities, such as in Rajasthan's districts where child marriage is prevalent. Feedback was sought from people of all religions, as well as from those living in both urban and rural regions.
Despite objections from some quarters, the task force thought it was more vital to follow the target group's lead.
The task force, which was formed in June of last year, included top government experts VK Paul, senior officials from the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, and
the Law Ministry.
The task panel highlighted that a woman must be at least 21 years old at the time of her first pregnancy in its recommendations, which were submitted in December.
Marriage delay benefits families, society, and children financially, socially, and health-wise.