Rajasthan’s Supreme Court Guidelines for Child Marriage Elimination

• The Supreme Court has set a six-year goal to end child marriage in Rajasthan.

• The guidelines aim to hold local authorities accountable for child marriages.

• The Just Rights for Children Alliance (JRCA) has pledged to intensify its efforts to eliminate child marriages by 2030.

• The JRCA partners were petitioners in the case that resulted in the Supreme Court’s guidelines.

• The Supreme Court ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, cannot be restricted by personal laws and that marriages involving children violate the free will to choose a life partner.

• The guidelines emphasize empowering children about their rights and holding village panchayats, school authorities, and child protection officers accountable.

• The court also ruled for a “prevention, protection and prosecution” model to enforce the 2006 Act.