The state's Congress government has repealed a contentious ordinance in Rajasthan that was regarded as validating/legitimizing child weddings by requiring parents to register them.

The state's Congress government has repealed a contentious ordinance in Rajasthan that was regarded as validating/legitimizing child weddings by requiring parents to register them.

All weddings, even those of minors, must be recorded, according to the Rajasthan Compulsory Registrations of Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021, which was approved last month in the Rajasthan legislature but has yet to be enacted. The weddings of minors must be registered by their parents or guardians, according to the law.

Many people were outraged by the rule, believing it would increase child marriages. The bill's modification was also challenged in the Rajasthan high court by a non-governmental organisation.

Following activist and opposition demonstrations, the state said on Monday, International Girl Child Day, that it will urge the governor to return the law.

Child marriage is being eradicated in the state, according to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who stated that the administration is working with a "strong resolve." He tweeted in Hindi, "We have a strong resolve that child marriage should not take place in the state and the government will not make any compromise in this regard.”

According to him, the law was introduced in response to a Supreme Court order that all marriages be recorded. "However, we request the governor to return the bill due to the incorrect notion over child marriages," he said.

"After legal consultation from lawyers, it will be considered whether to take the bill forward or not," added the Chief Minister. 

The law was passed on September 17 in the Rajasthan legislature, despite opposing BJP MLAs staging a walkout. The opposition grilled the Congress government, accusing it of allowing child marriage to enter through the back door.

"If the bride is under 18 and the groom is under 21, their parents must register the marriage within 30 days of the event," according to a clause in the law. The age criteria for both was 21 years in the 2009 edition.

The government, on the other hand, defended its judgement, claiming that the opposition was misinterpreting the amendment. The state previously said that district collectors have the authority to act against social evils, and the most recent amendment protects the interests of children, particularly in instances when the girl is widowed.

Even though child marriage is illegal in Rajasthan, it is nevertheless practised in vast sections of the state. Over the years, several instances have been documented. According to official data from 2015-2016, 35 per cent of weddings in the state included minors.