India To Raise Marriage Age of Women From 18 to 21, Cabinet Clears Proposal

The proposal is based on the recommendation by a task force of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The Union cabinet on Wednesday, 15 December, cleared a proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, sources told The Indian Express.

Following the approval of the proposal, the Union government will table an amendment to the Child Marriage Act, 2006, and also the Special Marriage Act and Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

Presenting the Union budget in February 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed a task force to recommend raising women’s minimum age of marriage from 18 to 21. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the proposal was under review, in his Independence Day address the same year.