Hyderabad: Child marriage is not an issue of the past but a social evil still prevalent in both the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The recently released Census 2011 data on number of people ever married and currently married as per age at marriage, duration of marriage and education status has brought out a shocking picture. The figures given in the data pertain to erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.
As per data, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana 4,53,030 girls aged 16-17, 72,569 aged 14-15, 5,305 aged 12-13, 572 aged 10-11 and 107 aged less than 10 were married for 0-4 years duration by the year 2011. They got married in the 2007-11 period. Legal age for marriage for girls in India is 18.
This means that more than five lakh girls got married before their legal marriage age in a span of four years, 2007-11 which in turn means that in AP and Telangana every year around 1.25 lakh girls get married before 18.
As per the data 1,38,499 boys aged 18-19 were married for 0-4 years duration in 2011 in both Telugu states and the figure was 4,42,969 boys aged 20-21 which includes also those who did not turn 21. The legal age of marriage for boys is 21.
The Census data is proof that education has a positive impact on reducing child marriage rates. As per the data while 1,32,189 illiterate girls aged between 16-17 got married in the period 2007-11, the figure was a meagre 1,175 for girls who were graduates or educated further. Same was the case for boys. Only 2,260 boys, who were graduates or above, got married at 18-19 years.
There is also a huge difference between urban and rural areas. In rural areas 3,50,219 girls aged 16-17 were married for 0-4 years duration in 2011. For urban areas the figure was a third of it: 1,02,811. Same was the case for boys. The number of boys aged between 18-19 who were married for 0-4 years duration in 2011 in rural areas was 1,12,098 whereas it was just 26,401 in urban areas.
The figures are mind boggling if the number for girls married before legal age is looked at. It stands at 48,60,481 for girls aged 16-17, 36,78,862 for girls aged 14-15, 11,27,892 for girls aged 12-13, 4,46,651 or girls aged 10-11 and 8,62,302 for girls aged 10-11.
