1. Census data reveals that over 6.4 million Indians under the age of 18 are already married, with 1.3 lakh girls under 18 widowed and 56,000 divorced or separated.
2. The legal marriageable age is 18 for women and 21 for men, but the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 has failed to deter underage marriages.
3. Such child marriages are more prevalent in rural areas and certain states like Rajasthan. They are justified as a way to reduce dowry demands for younger grooms.
4. Early marriages take a physical toll on underage girls and increase maternal and child