7 births, 14 pregnancies: Underage brides in Beed expose Maharashtra's legal gaps

These pregnancies are not officially recorded as sexual assault cases, as the RCH portal does not allow separate recording of minors as victims of sexual violence.

In Maharashtra's Beed district, 14 girls were reported as pregnant due to child marriages that occurred between April 2024 and March 2025, as confirmed by Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Aabitkar.

Out of these 14, seven girls have already given birth, according to News18.

This situation came to light after MLAs Amol Khatal from Sangamner and Amit Satnam raised concerns about this troubling trend and requested official data from the state’s reproductive and child health (RCH) portal.

The minister clarified that these pregnancies are not officially recorded as sexual assault cases, as the RCH portal does not allow for separate documentation of minors as victims of sexual violence. Instead, when a woman or girl of reproductive age tests positive for pregnancy, her name is recorded as a ‘pregnant mother’ along with her husband’s name.

The system also verifies age using Aadhaar data when linking the ABHA health card to the RCH portal.

Minister Aabitkar’s reply raises serious concerns about how underage pregnancies are obscured by legal loopholes, with more focus on tracking reproductive data than on addressing child abuse or forced marriages.

Many child rights activists emphasise that any sexual relations with a girl below 18 are illegal under Indian law, regardless of whether they are framed as ‘marriage.’

Although these 14 pregnancies have been officially noted, activists worry that the real numbers could be higher since many cases in remote rural areas go unregistered and do not reach government records.

In his statement, Aabitkar assured that the government is taking steps to strengthen the crackdown on child marriages. He mentioned that instructions have been issued to all health institutions under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, to report and prevent such cases.

To enhance monitoring at the grassroots level, gram sevaks (village servants) have been appointed as child marriage prevention officers in every village across the state, with Anganwadi workers assisting them, reported  News18.

In urban areas, Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and Anganwadi supervisors have been designated as the main and assistant child marriage prohibition officers.

Furthermore, each district now has a dedicated child protection cell, and schools, government offices, and village community halls are required to hold mandatory child marriage prevention pledge ceremonies to raise awareness.

However, despite these measures on paper, the recent statistics from Beed indicate that awareness alone is insufficient.