Mysuru: Deputy commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy on Wednesday flagged a key concern, noting that many officials in the revenue, education, and health departments mistakenly believe that child protection is solely the responsibility of the child welfare department.Addressing participants at a one-day training and awareness workshop on the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and POCSO Act for district- and taluk-level child marriage prohibition officers at Kalamandira, he stressed that preventing child marriage is a shared responsibility.
“Despite Mysuru’s educational progress, the figures remain worrying. In 2024, 224 child marriages were prevented, yet 56 took place. In 2025, 24 marriages were solemnised out of 268 reported cases. This is largely due to a lack of timely information from the public,” he said. He called for coordinated efforts to help Mysuru achieve “Zero Child Marriage District” status by 2026.Usha Rani, principal district and sessions judge, Mysuru, urged officials to work collectively to safeguard children’s future. She emphasised that children’s success depends on the security, care, and compassion extended to them today. Social evils such as child labour, child marriage, and sexual abuse, she said, continue to deprive children of education, health, and dignity.With 42% of India’s population under 18, the vulnerability of the girl child remains a serious concern, she said. Officials were urged to ensure effective, ground-level implementation of child protection laws.Earlier, ADC Shivaraju flagged off the rally in support of Bal Vivah Mukt Abhiyan. Director of directorate of child protection, Bengaluru, Sneha; senior civil judge and DLSA member secretary KK Amarnath; district child protection officer NT Yogesh; and K Saraswathi, director, RLHP, were present.
