Rajasthan officials, with help from NGO Gayatri Seva Sansthan, prevented 13 child marriages set for Akshaya Tritiya across three districts. Nine cases were stopped in Udaipur, and two each in Pratapgarh and Sikar. The Child Welfare Committee acting chairperson said prompt action followed tips from the NGO.
Akshaya Tritiya fell on Sunday, an occasion considered auspicious for marriages. Officials said district administrations, aided by Gayatri Seva Sansthan (GSS), stopped the marriages after receiving tips. In Udaipur, local patwari, gram secretary and sarpanch were summoned and briefed on Rajasthan High Court directives. A boy and a girl were placed in a shelter home for safety.
Yashoda Paniya, acting chairperson of Udaipur's Child Welfare Committee (CWC), said administration and local police took prompt action. GSS district coordinator Nitin Paliwal, counsellor Payal Kaneria, Child Helpline officer Shankar Bhoi and Dabok Police Station's Child Welfare Officer Mukesh Khatik intervened in Udaipur. Ramchandra Meghwal led efforts in Pratapgarh, and Naresh Saini in Sikar.
GSS director Dr Shailendra Pandya said the NGO offered Rs 1,100 rewards for tips on child marriages across five districts: Udaipur, Pratapgarh, Chittorgarh, Salumbar and Sikar. Informants' identities remained confidential. The initiative involved a month-long campaign with District Legal Services Authority, CWC and Child Helpline, including a dedicated helpline.
In 2024, Rajasthan High Court held gram panchayats accountable for preventing child marriages, following a petition by Just Rights for Children. GSS partners with this national network of over 250 NGOs aiming to end child marriage by 2030. The organisation conducts such drives on sensitive dates.
