Child marriages on the rise in Telangana, ranks 12th in the country
Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation conducts consultation in Telangana against child marriage
Hyderabad, September: Telangana figures as the 12th in the country in child marriages cases. According to Census 2011 report, around 2.8 lakh children were married off before turning 18. In this context, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s Children’s Foundation (KSCF) announced their upcoming “Child Marriage Free India” campaign in Hyderabad today. A state consultation was held to mobilise all stakeholders of child protection to move together and help in the realisation of Child Marriage-Free India.
KSCF co-organised the consultation with the Telangana State Legal Services Authority (SLSA). KSCF has started nationwide consultations after the recent appeal by Kailash Satyarthi for a sustained campaign across the country to make India child marriage-free.
At the state-level consultation the key points discussed were appointment of Child Marriage Prohibition Officer (CMPO), mandatory FIR registration in cases of child marriage and incentivization of parents to motivate them to not marry their under-age children.
Key dignitaries present on this occasion included member secretary, SLSA, S Goverdhan Reddy, Commissioner, Women and Child Welfare department (WCD), Divya Devarajan, Chairperson SCPCR, Srinivas Rao, President, TRSMA, Yadgiri Shekhar Rao, Inspector General-cum-Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Raja Ram and DSC, RPF, Debosmita Banerjee S, DCP Rachakonda Commissionarate, Salima. Additional DCP, Cyberabad, RitiRaj, Dhananjay Tingal, executive director of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a sister organization of KSCF.
