The sharp decline in child marriages in India, as reported in a recent survey, marks a welcome trend for an important human development indicator. The survey by ‘Just Rights for Children’, a network of over 250 NGOs working for child protection, reported that child marriage among girls declined by 69% and among boys by 72% between April 2022 and March 2025. The report – Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India – was released during an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last week. The survey was conducted in five states, chosen in a way to represent the country. Assam led with an 84% decline in marriages of girls, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70% each), Rajasthan (66%), and Karnataka (55%).

The survey found FIRs and arrests to be

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