Nabarangpur, 4891 (Yuva Morcha Bureau):
Under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, a nationwide 100-day campaign titled Child Marriage-Free India (CMFI) has been launched. Following this, the aspirational district of Nabarangpur has also inaugurated this campaign.
At the district-level programme organized with the support of the District Social Welfare Department and voluntary organisations, the Chairperson of the State Child Protection Commission, Babita Patra, attended as the chief guest and officially launched the campaign. Commission member Sujata Nayak, District Collector Dr. Maheshwar Swain, and all district-level officials were present at the event. On this occasion, a pledge was administered to create a Child Marriage-Free India. Individuals who have made significant contributions towards preventing child marriage were also felicitated. A signature campaign was carried out thereafter. In the morning, a public awareness rally on child-marriage prevention was taken out across the town.
A live telecast of the programme held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi was screened virtually. According to the NFHS-5 survey (Central Government’s Reproductive and Child Health), Nabarangpur ranks first in the state in terms of child marriage cases. As per data, 39.4% of girls below 18 years of age get married and become pregnant or attain motherhood. Two years ago, the district had the highest rate in the entire country. Due to widespread awareness and initiatives to curb child marriage, the figure has now declined, and the district stands first in Odisha in improvement. The administration has declared 1,058 villages across the district’s 10 blocks as Child-Marriage-Free. In the past 10 months, 381 child marriages have been prevented.
This campaign is part of a long-term national initiative aimed at eliminating child marriage while promoting education, skill development, and entrepreneurship among girls and women. As per the Ministry’s guidelines, a 100-day outreach programme has been initiated. Awareness and activation activities will be conducted through all schools, colleges, religious places, institutions linked to marriage services, 189 gram panchayats, and two municipalities.
Special awareness activities include rallies in every block, posters, essays, speech competitions, sensitization of priests in temples, mosques, and gurdwaras, leaflet distribution, wall paintings against child marriage, posters at venues, and written undertakings from marriage halls, bands, photographers, and tent service providers.
The chief guest administered a collective pledge against child marriage. Also present were District Child Protection Officer Suresh Patnaik, District Information & Public Relations Officer Manoj Behera, District Welfare Officer Rabindra Palaka, representatives of One-Stop Centre Kishori Patnaik and Sarita Pani, Angan Trust’s Prabhasini Patnaik, Piramal Foundation’s Bikram Rana, child rights coordinator Saurabh Upadhyay, municipal councillors, and Anganwadi workers from various blocks. Students from different schools performed cultural programmes. The proceedings were conducted by announcer Chandana Mallik. The vote of thanks was delivered by Rama Patnaik.
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