If one Google searches “Karnataka tops in what”, the results are astounding. From leading in wind power capacity and foreign investment to having one of the highest numbers of taxpayers, Karnataka consistently finds itself ahead of the curve in unexpected ways. There is another remarkable entry on that list. The state ranks among the top where villagers feel most confident in dialling child helplines and approaching Child Welfare Committees to report child marriages. This is in sharp contrast to many other states, where communities remain hesitant or unaware that such mechanisms even exist.
It is perhaps this awareness and alignment with local child protection systems that Karnataka has recorded a 55% drop in child marriages among girls (as noted in Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India by Just Rights for Children). It is likely this synergy between government agencies and communities helped the number of child marriages prevented rise dramatically from just 27 in 2023–24 to an extraordinary 3,381 in 2024–25. It may also be this trust in local bodies that every respondent surveyed in the report confirmed taking a pledge against child marriage during the Union government’s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign.
Clearly, just as Rome was not built in a day, Karnataka’s success in reducing child marriage did not happen overnight or because of a single intervention. It is the culmination of numerous, interconnected efforts that have together created this impact.
For instance, the Karnataka government’s ‘Spoorthi scheme’, which aims to prevent child marriages by emphasising education and skill development for girls, has been a major turning point in this direction. Another important factor, which the Just Rights for Children report also mentioned, is the strengthening of the marriage registration process through the Panchayat Development Officers (PDO). Since the PDOs are closer and known to the villagers, their access to information about any impending child marriage is more precise and swift.
And one of the most significant and landmark crackdowns on this heinous crime against children has been the recent Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, which makes even engagements in child marriage cases a punishable offence. With this one stroke, the Karnataka government has fortified the entire child protection ecosystem and ensured that this crime that has for centuries been flourishing with the acceptance of society is uprooted right when it takes root.
While the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006 criminalises the marriage of girls below 18 and boys below 21, it does not cover engagements. With this Bill, Karnataka becomes the first state in the country to take such a critical step forward in preventing child marriages from even beginning.
The role of civil society organisations in taking this fight to the grassroots has been pivotal. NGOs have penetrated every corner of the state, spreading awareness, preventing child marriages, and ensuring accountability, with remarkable effectiveness. During the survey, an impressive 78% of respondents identified NGOs as the primary facilitators of ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign and the pledges against child marriage.
But while all this success and the steps are significant, it still isn’t enough.
The Just Rights for Children report has found that while 75% villagers in Karnataka villages found the child helpline approachable, 53% said they trusted CWCs and found them approachable. However, less than half of the villagers questioned (40%) said that they relied on the police for the prevention of child marriages.
This is in sharp contrast with the successful model of 3Ps to end child marriage. The 3Ps – Prevention, Protection and Prosecution – rely heavily on the reporting of child marriages and the prosecution of culprits to create a deterrence in society, which then leads to the prevention of child marriage. However, if communities’ trust is not placed in the law enforcement agencies, the entire safety net that is needed for children will have dangerous gaps and holes.
The Karnataka government needs to ensure that the laws and the new Bill that criminalise even the engagement for child marriage are well executed. With such robust laws in place, if the rate of child marriage in certain districts remains almost double the national average of 23.3%, we need to rethink our strategies.
But before that, we need to analyse the community’s apathy and mistrust of our police agencies. We must understand that this mistrust probably stems from years of fear, social stigma, and lack of sensitisation. In many villages, approaching the police is still seen as an act of defiance rather than courage. Families fear backlash or community isolation. This perception, even if partly true, has serious implications. Laws can be strong on paper, but if the protectors themselves are not trusted, justice remains distant.
Bridging this trust deficit requires more than awareness. It requires accountability and empathy within the system. The state must institutionalise regular child protection and gender-sensitivity training for all police personnel, especially in high-prevalence districts. Police officers should not only respond to child marriage complaints but also actively participate in village-level awareness drives alongside Panchayat officers, Anganwadi workers and NGO representatives.
These frontline workers have already shown that their way to the villagers’ hearts and their trust is well-rooted and can be replicated. When communities see uniformed officers standing beside child protection volunteers, the perception of the police will begin to shift. They will no longer be perceived as an outsider enforcing the law but as allies protecting children.
At the same time, the fight against child marriage cannot be won by laws and institutions alone. It demands a change in mindset. Many families still justify marrying off their daughters early with reasons varying from poverty, safety concerns and community pressure. The reasons could be myriad, so the solution needs to stem from myriad points too. Community influencers such as teachers, health workers, and most importantly, faith leaders who conduct these marriages are the key to changing these narratives. Ending child marriage must become a matter of pride, not rebellion, in every village.
Karnataka’s legislative will is commendable, and its progress is undeniable. Yet the journey is far from over. The next step must be about transforming trust into collaboration, where every Panchayat, every police station, and every household stands as a stakeholder in the safety and dignity of children. Because laws can punish, but trust in the law and the system can protect.
V Susheela is the Secretary of Spandana Association in Belagavi, Karnataka. Spandana Association is a partner NGO of Just Rights for Children, a network of over 250 NGOs working in over 451 districts for Child Protection and Child Rights. Views expressed here are the author’s own.