Jammu and Kashmir has reported a relatively low number of child marriage cases, ranking 30th out of 36 states and union territories in India. Between 2020 and 2022, only five cases were registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006. This low number may indicate effective implementation of the PCMA or increased awareness about the issue.
Nationally, a total of 2,837 cases were registered under the Act across all states and union territories over the three-year span. The highest number of cases were reported from Karnataka, with 648 cases, followed by West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. These states accounted for a significant share of the total reported cases in the country. In contrast, Jammu Kashmir’s figures were among the lowest, alongside regions like Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Manipur, and Tripura.
The neighboring Union Territory of Ladakh reported zero cases during the same period, along with other union territories like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep. The figures are based on data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its annual Crime in India reports.
The Department of Social Welfare in Jammu and Kashmir is actively working to protect child rights and prevent child marriages. The Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of Child Marriage Rules, 2023, outlines procedures for filing petitions to annul child marriages and provide maintenance and residence to the female contracting party. The government has also established the Jammu and Kashmir Commission for Protection of Child Rights to oversee the implementation of child rights and prevent child marriages.
