Today, (December 4), at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, a powerful 100-day nationwide movement was kick-started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to help India end child marriage by 2030. Students, frontline workers, child-rights advocates, ministers, community leaders and Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), gathered under one roof, united by a simple but powerful promise. The launch also marks one year of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat initiative. Union Minister Annpurna Devi led the ceremony by administering a national pledge to end child marriage in India. Speaking at the launch, she said:
The 100-day campaign is just one milestone in our long-term national movement to eliminate child marriage in India. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who is supporting the government in achieving the targets of this mission, especially dedicated contributors like Bhuwan Ribhu, who is also the Founder of Just Rights for Children. Child marriage is a grave injustice—it steals childhood, dignity, and the future that every child has a right to.
The Union Minister also urged every citizen to play an active role in stopping this harmful practice. Emphasising the aspirations of young girls across the country, she added:
Today, every girl in every corner of our country has one slogan: mujhe padhna hai, mujhe badhna hai - and I am proud that the government is encouraging and enabling this dream.
Three-Part Plan To Drive Action
The government is running the campaign from 27 November 2025 to 8 March 2026. It has designed a three-part plan to keep momentum high:
Spell 1 (Nov 27-Dec 31): Schools and colleges will hold debates, essay contests, and pledge ceremonies.
Spell 2 (Jan 1-31): Faith leaders, community influencers and marriage service providers will lead awareness efforts on child rights and safety.
Spell 3 (Feb 1- Mar 8): Gram panchayats and municipal wards will be encouraged to pass resolutions declaring themselves “child-marriage-free.”
The campaign aims to take the conversation straight into the homes and neighbourhoods where child marriage often begins quietly, unnoticed.
Child protection network Just Rights for Children is supporting this initiative by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, in the intensive 100 days campaign drive towards achieving the goal to eradicate child marriage by 2030. NDTV spoke to child rights activist, Bhuwan Ribhu, to know how this campaign will help end child marriages in the country. He underscored that the national approach must place prevention before protection, protection before prosecution, and that strong prosecution creates the deterrence that ultimately reinforces prevention in our mission to end child marriage by 2030.
He praised the government's efforts and said the country had achieved progress once considered impossible. He recalled global estimates that once predicted painfully slow progress for India.
“UN agencies said it would take 300 years to eliminate child marriage. Experts believed it was an impossible dream,” he told the audience.
He credited what he called an “unprecedented turnaround” to strong political leadership and a massive wave of public participation.
“Never in human history have 250 million people taken a pledge against child marriage on a single day,” he said. “That changed our national mindset.”
Numbers, too, tell their own story:
• 1 lakh child marriages prevented in one year
• 6.3 lakh girls re-enrolled in school
• 36,000 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers now active across India
• Stronger coordination between police, schools, and panchayats
For Mr Ribhu, these are not just statistics; they are signs that India is moving toward a “tipping point.” The point where change becomes irreversible.
Calling the moment historic, Mr Ribhu said India is nearing a crucial turning point. “We are near that tipping point from where we can clearly see the beginning of the end of child marriage in India,” he declared. He said the country would not need centuries to solve the problem. “It will not take 300 years. We will realise the dream of a Child Marriage-Free India before 2030.”
As this movement gathers strength, it is becoming clear that India is no longer just fighting child marriage - it is redefining the future of its children. This intensive 100-day campaign is more than a series of events; it is a nationwide awakening. With child marriage rates already falling sharply and community participation at unprecedented levels, the nation stands closer than ever to achieving what once felt impossible. The momentum is building, and if sustained, India may indeed witness a historic milestone - a Child Marriage-Free India by 2030.
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