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Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the Child Marriage Prohibition (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes to treat not only child marriages but also engagements of minors as punishable offences. The bill is set to be introduced in the upcoming session of the State Legislature.
Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said the bill aims to tighten legal provisions to curb child marriage in all its forms.
“The existing law allowed action only against those conducting or participating in child marriages. The proposed amendment now brings child engagements under the purview of punishable offences,” Patil explained.
He added that traditional practices like cradle marriages, still observed in some parts of the state, will also be liable for penal action under the amended law.
According to government records, around 700 cases of child marriage were reported across Karnataka during 2023–24. Patil noted that this proposal was mooted in response to a decision taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister with Deputy Commissioners and CEOs of Zilla Panchayats.
“The move reflects the state’s commitment to end child marriage and uphold the rights of children,” Patil said, adding that the amendment is expected to serve as a model legislation for other states.
The bill is likely to be tabled in the upcoming legislative session for debate and passage.
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