Ministry of Women and Child Development Launches Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign

Key facts

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched the national campaign Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat on 27th November 2024 to make India child-marriage-free.
• A 100 Days Special Campaign under the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat initiative was launched on 4th December 2025 to intensify outreach to institutions and community leaders.
• The Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Portal serves as a digital platform for reporting incidents and maintains a repository of over 66,000 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) up to the Gram Panchayat level.
• As on 9th March 2026, awareness programmes reached over 11.81 crore citizens and more than 40 lakh pledges against child marriage were registered on the portal.
• The Child Helpline (1098) provides 24x7 emergency outreach and is integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) for round-the-clock response.
• The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) component under Mission Shakti, launched on 22nd January 2015, aims to address gender-based discrimination and promote girl child empowerment.
• The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) provides free legal aid through the dedicated helpline 15100.
• Under The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA), State Governments are authorised to appoint CMPOs to prevent child marriages and collect evidence for prosecution.
• The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 confers powers on District Magistrates to implement provisions and designate District Nodal Officers (DNOs).