A stitch in time saves nine. The most common adage that we learn in primary school is the most neglected piece of wisdom by governments and administrators alike. Those who follow this, however, get a dividend, in most cases, if not always.
The Assam Government crackdown on child marriage in the State is one such stitch on time. It has the potential, as early results show, to save many stitches in future. Besides working on the legal framework, the Government of Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma simultaneously worked on the education, empowerment and economic stability of female students. So much so that, Assam has achieved a 84% drop in child marriage for girls between April 2022 to March 2025, outstripping other States in the country by a significant percentage, according to a survey by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (C-LAB). The percentage is even higher for boys at 91%.
The report, titled “Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India,” credits the legal enforcement mechanism in the State for its astounding success. However, one will only be able to judge the actual impact of such a far-sighted policy approach in the next decade or so when these children go ahead to make a name for themselves on the global stage through education and hard work.
