The recent Lancet Global Health report, which shows that one in five girls and one in nearly six boys are still married off below the legal age in India, should not come as a surprise. Data from the latest National Family Health Survey had already highlighted these trends. What is alarming is that four states — Bihar (16.7%), West Bengal (15.2%), Uttar Pradesh (12.5%), and Maharashtra (8.2%) — account for more than half the burden of child marriages among girls. Out of these, West Bengal, distressingly, has registered a whopping rise of 32.3% in underage unions in recent times. This might seem strange given that the state’s conditional cash transfer scheme, Kanyashree Prakalpa, which incentivises education to delay early marriages, has been widely feted since its inception. Populism has its pitfalls and can seldom be a substitute for meaningful structural change. The success of Kanyashree led to the creation of another scheme, Rupashree Prakalpa, which provides cash incentives for the marriage of girls. Together these have become entangled in the marriage economy of rural Bengal — the money provided for funding education comes in handy while paying dowry. There is also the institutional complacency that child marriage can be countered with education and awareness only. Child marriage is often — in 50% of the cases as per some estimates — the medium for trafficking women. Tellingly, West Bengal also has the dubious distinction of registering a 22% increase in cases of human trafficking in the latest National Crime Records Bureau report. Further, a government’s active encouragement for schooling must be accompanied by a robust school system and — this is a stiff challenge — the scope for earning in the future. A life of economic independence that supports families can counter the perceived advantages of early marriage.

Child marriage, a layered phenomenon, is also related to other issues. Farm distress and widespread unemployment lead to mass migration to urban areas, which, in turn, increases the homeless population — this is the segment with the highest number of child brides in cities. Moreover, even though laws exist to protect children against underage marriages, the legal system is far from perfect. A survey shows that the maximum number of acquittals in Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act cases where the accused/offender was ‘known’ to the child is through romantic relationships or marriages. A holistic understanding of child marriage at the policy level is needed to frame effective deterrents.