New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved a bill to raise the age of marriage for women from 18 to 21. The approval was given by the Union Cabinet meeting held in Delhi yesterday. According to government sources, the bill will be tabled in the current session of Parliament.
The current age of marriage for men is 21. The aim is to make the age of marriage equal for both men and women. At the same time, various religious organizations have come out in protest against raising the age of marriage for women.
The new bill is based on a report submitted to the NITI Ayog by a special committee appointed by the central government to study maternal health. The bill will be based on the report of a special committee chaired by Jaya Jaitley in December 2020 on maternal age, maternal mortality and maternal nutrition.
Jaya Jaitley, chairperson of the committee, explained that the recommendations were made for the empowerment of women. In 1978, the age of marriage for women was raised from 15 to 18.
