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
