In a significant step toward eliminating child marriage by 2030, Just Rights for Children (JRC) has announced a statewide intensive campaign to make one lakh villages child-marriage-free within the next 12 months. The initiative aligns with the first anniversary of the Government of India’s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, launched with a 100-day national action plan.
Rajasthan has been identified as one of the most critical states, with 38 high-prevalence districts selected based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data. According to the survey, child marriage prevalence in Rajasthan stands at 25.4%, slightly higher than the national average of 23.3%.
District-level disparities are stark:
- Chittorgarh and Bhilwara exceed 40% prevalence
- Nine districts—including Jhalawar, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, Bharatpur, Karauli, Bikaner, Alwar and Pratapgarh—are above 30%
- Nine more districts fall between 23%–29.9%
JRC, a coalition of more than 250 NGOs across India and 17 in Rajasthan, reported preventing 22,480 child marriages in the state in the last year alone. Nationwide, the network has stopped over one lakh child marriages in 12 months and 4,35,205 since April 2023, using its 3P framework — Protection, Prevention and Prosecution.
“Community leadership is key to building a child-marriage-free India,” said Bhuwan Ribhu, Founder of JRC. “Last year’s results prove that when government, civil society, panchayats, and citizens unite, change becomes unstoppable. Our goal is clear — one lakh child-marriage-free villages in one year.”
As part of the government’s intensified 100-day plan—culminating on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2026—activities will be executed in three phases:
- Awareness in schools and colleges
- Engagement with religious institutions and wedding service providers
- Strengthening gram panchayat and ward-level accountability
The Rajasthan government has directed officials across health, rural development, panchayati raj, school education, and higher education departments to ensure strong implementation.