SC grants time to Centre to file an affidavit on issues relating to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act

The Supreme Court has granted six-week time to the Centre to collate information and file an affidavit before it on issues relating to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the steps taken to implement its provisions.

The apex court had in April this year asked the Centre to file an updated status report specifically elucidating the data collected from various states bearing on the nature and extent of child marriages, steps taken to implement the provisions of the 2006 Act and the policies formulated by the central government to effectuate the purpose.

It had said the Centre shall also engage with the states in order to apprise the top court on the compliance by the state for the appointment of child marriage prohibition officers under section 16 of the Act.

The top court had said in its April 13 order that the affidavit shall also clarify whether the officers who are appointed are given other "multifarious duties".

The matter came up for hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Friday.

"On the request of Aishwarya Bhati, Additional Solicitor General, six weeks time is granted to the Union government to collate the information and to file an affidavit before this court. List the petition on September 1, 2023," the bench, also comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, said in its order.

The top court is seized of a plea filed by an NGO which has raised the issue regarding implementation of the 2006 Act. The plea has claimed that the Act is not being implemented in letter and spirit.