MPs Unite to End Child Marriage by 2030

• Over 20 MPs join ‘MPs for Children’ to target child marriage by 2030
• Call for stronger laws, private member bills and constituency action
• Demand age-based social media restrictions to protect children
• Nationwide campaign with 500+ vans launched across 28 states

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th March: In a rare show of political unity, over 20 Members of Parliament from across party lines came together under the ‘MPs for Children’ platform, pledging to eliminate child marriage in India by 2030 while also addressing emerging threats from social media.

The initiative, supported by Just Rights for Children—a network of over 250 NGOs—aims to push coordinated legislative and grassroots action on child protection issues.

At a dialogue with parliamentarians in the national capital, Telugu Desam Party leader and convenor Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu stressed that child marriage transcends political and religious boundaries. “India has shown that with collective resolve we can achieve results. There is no reason why we cannot eliminate child marriage by 2030,” he said.

He also called for progressive, age-appropriate restrictions on children’s use of social media, highlighting the risks of technology-enabled abuse and exploitation. Devarayalu has introduced a Private Member’s Bill in the Lok Sabha to strengthen the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, proposing stricter penalties, dedicated enforcement officers, special courts and a digital reporting system.

The MPs emphasised the need to use parliamentary tools such as Zero Hour discussions and legislative proposals, along with grassroots engagement in constituencies, to bring the issue to the forefront.

Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, termed child protection a national priority. He welcomed the proposal to designate a “National Day for Child Marriage Free India” and called for a collective accountability approach. Ribhu has also urged the United Nations to declare a global day to end child marriage.

The forum highlighted the growing influence of digital platforms on children, urging safeguards to curb online abuse and exploitation.

To support the government’s 100-day campaign against child marriage, the organisation has launched the ‘Bal Vivah Mukti Rath’ initiative—over 500 mobile awareness vans deployed across 28 states and 439 districts. The campaign has seen participation from more than 100 MPs, along with chief ministers, ministers, MLAs and district officials.

The cross-party mobilisation marks a coordinated push to tackle child marriage and strengthen child protection frameworks through both legislative action and community outreach.