Kota enforces Age Disclosure on Wedding Cards to Prevent Child Marriages
Kota District Collector Dr. Ravindra Goswami has mandated the inclusion of the bride and groom's ages on wedding cards to prevent child marriages, particularly around Akshaya Tritiya. Legal actions will be taken against violators. This measure aims to curb the practice of child marriage in the district.
Kota: The District Magistrate of Rajasthan has implemented stringent measures to stop child marriages in the Kota district. Kota District Collector Dr. Ravindra Goswami has released a notice with firm directives. On the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya in Rajasthan, people often deem it appropriate to conduct child marriages. This year, Akshaya Tritiya falls on April 30, and in light of this, the District Magistrate has issued these instructions.
The order now requires that the ages of the bride and groom be included on the wedding invitation. When printing the invitation card, you must provide the age certificates of the bride and groom to accurately determine and document their ages on the card.
As per the District Magistrate's order, the girl's age on the invitation card is 18 years and the boy's age is 21 years. Additionally, those involved in the wedding such as the tent provider, confectioner, band player, lighting technician, and the owner and manager of the venue must display in capital letters at their workplace that 'Child marriage is a punishable offense' and that the girl must be 18 years old and the boy must be 21 years old.
The directive from the Collector stated that teams of officials from relevant departments have been formed to oversee areas where child marriages might occur. These teams will visit their assigned regions to ensure no child marriages are happening. If they observe wedding preparations like painting, graffiti, children missing school, or activities like bands, drums, priests, vehicle bookings, etc., the authorities will ensure that the marriage of the minor bride and groom does not proceed.
If there is any suspicion of child marriage, it is essential to immediately notify the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Executive Magistrate (Tehsildar), or the nearest police station. Legal action will be pursued against those involved if this order is violated. This stringent measure has been implemented by the administration to eradicate the harmful practice of child marriage.