Combating Child Marriage in Karnataka: Incentives, Collaboration, and Persistent Challenges

The Karnataka government has launched a multi-pronged approach to combat child marriage, including a ₹50,000 reward for gram panchayats that eliminate or significantly reduce child marriage cases. This initiative, coupled with the appointment of 59,000 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers and collaboration with seven government departments and NGOs, aims to address the issue at the grassroots level. Despite these efforts, child marriage persists due to factors like poverty, superstition, economic challenges, migration, and lack of legal awareness. While the government has successfully prevented numerous child marriages, data reveals a significant number of cases still occur, particularly in districts like Mysuru, Chitradurga, and Shivamogga. The government remains committed to eradicating this social evil, but challenges like poor inter-departmental coordination and deep-rooted societal factors continue to hinder progress.