COVER HINDI - Ministry of Women and Child Development

Convention of the elimination of all forms of
discrimination against women also mentions the right to
protection from child marriage.
3.83 Even after more than 77 years of enactment of the
Child Marriage restraint Act of 1929, the evil practice of
solemnization of Child Marriages in the country continues.
3.84 In order to plug the shortcomings/inadequacies in
the Act, the Ministry of Law and Justice introduced the
Bill “The Prevention of Child Marriage Bill, 2004” in the
Rajya Sabha on 20.12.2004 which was referred to the
Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee.
3.85 The Cabinet in its meeting held on 21.9.2006
approved the proposal on proposed Legislation on Child
Marriage Prohibition Act and Repeal of Child Marriage
Restraint Act, 1929. Thereafter the amendment to the
prevention of Child Marriage Bill, 2004 were passed by
the Rajya Sabha on 14.12.06 and The Prohibition of Child
Marriage Bill, 2006 was passed by the Lok Sabha on
Nutrition health education at Anganwadi centre
19.12.06. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
has received the assent of the President on 10.1.2007.
Report of the Committee constituted by the
Ministry of Women & Child Development
to look into the allegations of large scale
sexual abuse, rape and murder of children
in Nithari, NOIDA.
The Ministry of Women & Child Development constituted
a Committee under the chairpersonship of Mrs. Manjula
Krishnan, Economic Adviser in the Ministry to investigate
into the allegations of large scale sexual abuse, rape and
murder of children in Nithari Village of NOIDA on 3 rd
January, 2007. The committee also had joint Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri K.Skandan and Director
Shri J.S.Kochher, Ministry of Women & Child
Development, as members. The Committee visited
NOIDA twice and met officials of the District
Administration, local police and Chief Medical
Superintendent apart from the members of the affected
families and local community. They also examined the
various documents made available to them by the District
Officials/Police. Based upon these documents as well as
the information gathered from their meetings with all
concerned, the Committee prepared a report which was
submitted to the MOS (IC)WCD on 17 th January, 2007.
Some of the important suggestions made by the Committee
are, inter-alia, as under:
— All complaints of missing children need to be
registered and treated as a cognizable crime and
investigation conducted on priority basis,
accordingly. All State Governments including Uttar
Pradesh would need to issue appropriate instructions
in this regard.
— Wherever police negligence or inaction has been
reported when missing children complaints are
received, State Governments should take serious
cognizance of this and investigate the complaints
and on the basis of the same, exemplary punishment
meted out to the guilty police officials.
— The daily diary register maintained by the police
should be regularly monitored to ensure that all
missing children reports entered therein have been
duly taken cognizance of and FIR filed.
— Tracking of missing children needs to be made more
effective through web-based and other intra and inter
72 Annual Report 2006-07