Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s decision to designate November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, describing it as global recognition of an issue that Assam has been pursuing through sustained enforcement and social measures.
12,196 child marriage cases were registered over the past five years, with more than 11,000 arrests, according to figures cited by the Assam government. Sarma has also announced a fresh 30-day statewide enforcement campaign.
NDTV has followed the issue extensively, reporting on Assam’s major enforcement drives, arrests, the reported decline in child marriages, and the government’s education-focused initiatives. One such initiative is the Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina scheme, which provides financial support to girl students pursuing higher secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate education. The government has described the scheme as part of its effort to discourage early marriage and encourage girls to continue their studies.
With the UN now giving November 27 an international observance, Assam’s campaign has gained a new global context, linking the state’s enforcement drive with a wider international push to protect children from early and forced marriage.
Highlighting Assam’s crackdown, he said that more than 12,000 cases have been registered and over 11,000 people arrested in the state.
Reacting to the UNGA decision, the chief minister asserted in a post on X that child and forced marriage “has no place in our society”.
