Launch of Child Marriage–Free Rath under the “Child Marriage Free India Campaign”

Udaipur: Under the nationwide Child Marriage Free India Campaign, a 100-day special drive is being conducted to prevent child marriage. As part of this initiative, a public awareness Rath Yatra was launched jointly by the District Administration, District Legal Services Authority, Department of Child Empowerment, District Child Protection Unit, Gayatri Seva Sansthan, and Just Rights for Children.
The Rath Yatra was flagged off from the District Collectorate परिसर by Kuldeep Sharma, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority; Deependra Singh Rathore, Additional District Collector (Administration); and Dhruv Kumar Kavya, Member, Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
On this occasion, Secretary Kuldeep Sharma stated that child marriage is not only a serious social evil but also a punishable legal offence, and all stakeholders involved are liable for punishment under the law. He appealed to the public to neither conduct nor become a party to child marriage. Member of the State Child Commission, Dhruv Kumar Kavya, emphasized that preventing child marriage is not only the responsibility of the administration but a collective responsibility of society as a whole. Additional District Collector Deependra Singh Rathore said that every section of society must come forward, and through this 100-day special campaign, public awareness must be created to curb this social malpractice.
Deputy Director, Department of Child Empowerment, K. K. Chandravanshi, informed that information regarding child marriage can also be reported to the Child Helpline 1098, which is operated by the department. Nitin Paliwal, Programme Coordinator of Gayatri Seva Sansthan, stated that the Rath Yatra will travel to all rural areas of the district to spread awareness about the prevention of child marriage. During the campaign, people will be educated about the harmful consequences of child marriage and the relevant legal provisions.
Information about child marriage can be shared on the organization’s helpline 8239999288 or the Police Helpline 112. The identity of the informant will be kept strictly confidential.
The programme was attended by Anjan Joshi, Member, District Child Welfare Committee; Sanjay Joshi, Deputy Director, Department of Women Empowerment; all members of the Child Helpline team; Rajkumar Jingar and Banwari Lal from the Department of Child Empowerment; and Vivek Paliwal from Gayatri Seva Sansthan, along with other dignitaries.