Mysuru: The department of women and child development, empowerment of differently abled and senior citizens, announced an award for child marriage-free gram panchayats across the state, aiming to strengthen grassroots efforts to eliminate child marriages and protect children’s rights.Though Jan 31 was the last date to submit applications, no GP in the district applied for the award. The absence of applications was attributed to a lack of awareness and the unavailability of clear data regarding child marriage cases during the past three years. Following this, the department sought assistance from the district police to collect verified information on child marriage cases, including details of zero-FIR gram panchayats.
An award carrying a cash prize of Rs 25,000 will be presented to the selected child marriage-free gram panchayat. Selection criteria include a formal declaration in the gram sabha or panchayat meeting affirming child marriage-free status, prioritising continuation of education for children rescued from child marriages, conducting regular women and child protection committee meetings, and re-enrolling school dropouts.Priority will be given to panchayats that obtained court injunction orders to prevent child marriages in the past three years and maintained zero cases. However, panchayats where child marriages occurred among migrant families will not be considered. The number of adolescent pregnancies and a sustainability plan to prevent future child marriages will also be key evaluation factors.District child protection officer Yogesh NT said Jan 31 was the deadline for applications, but none were received, as GPs were unaware of their status over the last three years. “We now requested the district police to share the details of zero-FIR GPs. A committee headed by the zilla panchayat CEO will later scrutinise the data and select the winning gram panchayat,” he said. From each district, one panchayat will be nominated based on various criteria, including reporting zero child marriages in the last three years.
