Wedding in Maharashtra? You may have to put date of birth on invite soon

To curb child marriages in the state, the Maharashtra government is considering making it mandatory to print the dates of birth of both the bride and the groom on wedding invitations. Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare informed the assembly that such a move would make it much easier to verify the age of the couple at the time of marriage.

Speaking in the assembly, Tatkare said a similar move in Rajasthan, long regarded as a child marriage hotspot, has helped in checking underage marriages. Tatkare said to ensure implementation, the government was planning to make printing presses, wedding halls (mangal karyalayas), and event organisers responsible for following the rule. Those found violating the guidelines would face legal action.

WHAT DATA SHOWS

The proposal was recommended by the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights following concerns over an uptick in child marriage cases in parts of the state.

Government data presented in the Assembly showed that several districts continue to report high numbers of girls getting married before the age of 18. Parbhani district recorded the highest rate, with 48%. It was followed by Beed (43.7%), Dhule (40.5%) and Solapur (40.3%).

However, child marriage rates have started to dip. In 2023-24, child marriage rates were down to 19.6% from 21.9% in 2019-21. The national average is around 20.1%. Tatkare stressed that in 2025-26 alone, around 1,434 child marriages were prevented.

In rural areas like Beed and Marathwada, a rise in child marriage cases has been seen during the seasonal migration of labourers for sugarcane-cutting work.

To deal with this, the government plans to reach out to migrant labourers and expand facilities such as child care centres to ensure children remain safe during migration periods.

MAHARASHTRA TO FOLLOW RAJASTHAN MODEL

The Devendra Fadnavis-led government is now studying the Rajasthan model to introduce stricter checks.

Since 2013, several districts in Rajasthan have made it mandatory to mention the date of birth of the groom and bride on wedding invites and a statutory warning that child marriage is punishable.

For example, in Bundi, where several children were secretly married off, the district administration has constituted teams of school principals, land record inspectors, gram sevaks, and anganwadi workers to keep an eye on such marriages.

If any child marriage is found to be taking place, the team immediately informs the tehsildar and the police station. Child marriages are rampant in Rajasthan, especially in the rural areas.

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