Guwahati, July 19, 2024: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a substantial decrease in teenage pregnancies in the state, attributing the success to the government’s vigorous campaign against child marriage. According to Sarma’s latest update, teenage pregnancies have dropped by 64% over the past two years, from 9,330 reported cases in April 2022 to 3,401 in June 2024.
The Chief Minister expressed pride in the progress achieved and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing the mission with relentless dedication. “Our rigorous mission against #ChildMarriage is not only bringing a societal change but also enabling a healthy life for our girls,” Sarma stated.
Earlier, Sarma had announced that the government would conduct a special drive against child marriages every six months, with the next crackdown scheduled for November-December this year. The Director General of Police (DGP) has been instructed to conduct a preliminary survey for the next round of crackdown.
Sarma attributed the success to the government’s sustained efforts in empowering women, citing the India Child Protection (ICP) report as a testament to their efforts. The Chief Minister’s comments come after an NGO report highlighted the decline in child marriage cases in the state, with even minority areas now actively preventing the social evil.
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