Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka amendment) Bill, 2016

• President has given his assent to the long-pending Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka amendment) Bill, 2016, giving greater powers to the police and increasing the penalty for child marriage.

Highlights of the bill:

• The state government’s amendment to the Karnataka Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, was based on recommendations made by a 2011 committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Shivaraj V Patil.
• It seeks to ensure zero tolerance towards any child marriage, granting powers to policemen and enhancing penalties for those attending marriage ceremonies of minors.
• While the original legislation does not prescribe a minimum punishment for offenders, the amendment proposes rigorous imprisonment of one year. It also enables any police officer to take cognizance of the offence.
• Karnataka is among many states with a high percentage of child marriage cases in south India
• According to a survey, 23.2 per cent of such cases are reported from the state

By: Vishal