The Union government is set to launch an intensive 100-day nationwide awareness campaign aimed at eliminating child marriage, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) announced on Wednesday. The initiative marks one year of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, which was launched on November 27, 2024.
The new phase of the campaign will be formally inaugurated on Thursday at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Designed as a focused national push, the 100-day programme will run from November 27, 2025, to March 8, 2026, and seeks to strengthen public engagement and grassroots action against child marriage.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi said the campaign reflects a collective resolve to eradicate child marriage and ensure that every girl grows up safe, educated, and empowered. She emphasised that increased social awareness and community participation are central to achieving a child marriage-free India.
According to the Ministry, the campaign follows a structured three-phase approach. The first phase will focus on educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, where awareness activities such as debates, essay competitions, interactive discussions, and pledge ceremonies will be organised to sensitise students on the harmful impact of child marriage.
The second phase will broaden community outreach by engaging faith leaders, community influencers, and marriage service providers. This stage aims to reinforce messages around child rights, safety, education, and empowerment, recognising the influence these stakeholders hold within local communities.
In the third phase, gram panchayats and municipal wards across the country will be mobilised to pass formal resolutions declaring their areas child marriage-free. The Ministry views this step as critical for translating awareness into institutional and community-level accountability.
The campaign will also feature a national pledge against child marriage, screenings of a specially produced film highlighting success stories from across the country, and testimonies from grassroots workers and frontline champions who have played key roles in preventing child marriages.
Implementation of the national drive will be carried out in coordination with several ministries, including Health and Family Welfare, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, and Education, to ensure wide coverage and effective outreach at the grassroots level.
Through the 100-day campaign, the Centre has called upon citizens, institutions, and community leaders to actively participate and reaffirm India’s commitment to ending child marriage and strengthening child rights nationwide.
