New Delhi: The Government of India has decided to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. The legal age of marriage for men is 21 years, reports said on Thursday.
The move will now require a law to be tabled in Parliament to amend personal laws governing the age of marriage such as the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, Special Marriage Act, and personal laws such as the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Live Law reported.
The decision was taken as per the recommendations of the task force appointed by the GoI in 2020 which was headed by former Samata Party leader Jaya Jaitly.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had admitted a plea seeking uniform age of marriage for women and men.
It had also admitted a plea challenging different ages under Section 5(iii) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Section 4(c) of the Special Marriage act, 1954, Section 2(a) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, Section 60(1) of the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, and Section 3(1)(c) of the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936, which prescribe eighteen years and twenty-one years as the eligible age for marriage for the bride and groom respectively.
The petition had submitted that difference in age of marriage perpetuates gender inequality and stereotypes, and also violates various Constitutional rights embedded under Articles 14, 15, and 21.
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