India’s Commitment to Ending Child Marriage
- Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), India has pledged to eliminate child marriage by 2030.
- According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data, the prevalence of child marriage declined from 47.4% (2005–06) to 23.3% (2019–21).
- The highest incidence of child marriage among women aged 18–29 years is observed in West Bengal, Bihar, and Tripura.
Legal Framework Against Child Marriage
- Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012
- Sustainable Development Goal 5.3: Elimination of child marriage
- Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Abhiyan: A national campaign launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to eradicate child marriage in India
National Standard for Incense Sticks
- IS 19412:2025 is India’s first national standard for incense sticks.
- The standard prohibits pesticides such as permethrin and cypermethrin.
- It also bans synthetic fragrance intermediates, including benzyl cyanide.
- The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) functions under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
India’s First National weapons Database
- To strengthen internal security, the Central Government has launched India’s first national arms database.
- The initiative aims to curb terrorism, organised crime, and extremism.
- Name: Lost, Looted and Recovered Firearm Database
- Launched at: Anti-Terrorism Conference 2025
- Developed by: National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs
- The database focuses only on government-owned firearms
