Two Villages in Assam Achieve Zero Child Marriage Status

Two villages in the Cachar district of Assam have been declared zero child marriage areas, according to officials. The move is part of the state government’s drive to eradicate child marriages in Assam entirely. In the villages of Rukni Part-4 and Bhairabpur Part-1, the district commissioner conducted a thorough survey of each home and examined police reports to verify the absence of the practice over the last two years. The villages have now been designated as zero child marriage zones, and additional funding will be provided for their development as recognition of their efforts. The district child protection unit visited over one thousand homes in both villages, speaking with family members and obtaining information about recent weddings, previous police complaints, and other relevant details. The team also met with local priests who perform Hindu wedding rituals to gather information about every marriage that took place in the villages over the previous two years. The move significantly reduces the number of infant and mother mortality rates in two villages while improving awareness in other areas. These efforts will continue in the state to make Assam a child-marriage-free state by 2026.