Minimum Marriage Age Raised to 21 : Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has passed a Bill to raise the minimum marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years, amending the Prohibition of Child Marriage (PCM) Act.
- Currently, the law prescribes that the minimum age of marriage is 21 and 18 years for men and women, respectively.
- The Bill redefines a “child” as anyone under 21, eliminating the age difference between genders.
- It also overrides any conflicting laws or customs.
- To annul a marriage, the time limit has been extended to five years after reaching the age of 21.
- Since the Bill amends a central law, it must receive the President’s assent to become enforceable, following approval from the state’s Governor
- Earlier, in June 2024, a Central bill ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ lapsed in Lok Sabha which aimed to bring uniformity in the age of marriage for men and women.
- 2021 Bill was based on recommendations of Jaya Jaitley Committee
