🔆 Child Betrothals: A Violation of Rights ✅ Context: The Supreme Court ruled that child betrothals violate basic rights of choice, autonomy, and childhood and are often a ploy to evade the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA). 📍 What is Child Betrothal? ✅ A practice where families arrange marriages for children before the legal age, with the formal marriage taking place later. ✅ Though not legally equivalent to child marriage, it is considered a binding commitment between families. 📍 Legal Status ✅ The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 sets the legal marriage age at 18 for girls and 21 for boys. ✅ The law is silent on child betrothals, prompting the Supreme Court to urge Parliament for explicit prohibition. 📍 Facts and Trends ✅ Child Marriages Decline: Dropped from 47% in 2015-16 to 27% in 2019-2021. ✅ At-Risk Children: Over 11.5 lakh, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for 5 lakh cases. ✅ States with high child marriage rates: Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh (over 40% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18). ✅ Significance : A ban on child betrothals is crucial to protect children’s rights and eliminate a pathway to child marriages. #gs1 #society #mains