Child Marriage Restraint Act

Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929
Imperial Legislative Council
  • An Act to define the age of marriage in India
Territorial extentWhole of British Raj
Enacted byImperial Legislative Council
Enacted28 September 1929
Commenced29 September 1929
Repealed by
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
Status: Repealed

The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, passed on 28 September 1929, in the Imperial Legislative Council of India, fixed the minimum age of marriage for girls at 14 years and boys at 18 years. In 1949, after India's independence, it was amended to fix the age of 15 for girls, and in 1978 to 18 for girls and 21 for boys. It is popularly known as the Sarda Act, after its sponsor Harbilas Sharda. It came into effect six months later on 1 April 1930 and applied to all of British India.[1][2][3] It was a result of social reform movement in India. Despite strong opposition from the British authorities, the legislation was passed by the British Indian Government which had a majority of Indians.[4] However, it lacked implementation from the British Indian government, largely due to the fear of British authorities losing support from their loyal Hindu and Muslim communalist groups.[5]

  1. ^ Gulati, Leela (August 1976). "Age of Marriage of Women and Population Growth: The Kerala Experience". Economic and Political Weekly. 11 (31/33). Sameeksha Trust: 1225, 1227, 1229, 1231, 1233–1234. JSTOR 4364831.
  2. ^ Forbes, Geraldin H., Women in Modern India, Cambridge University Press, 1998
  3. ^ Dhawan, Himanshi (15 September 2006). "Child brides may declare marriage void". The Times of India. NEW DELHI. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  4. ^ Sinha, Mrinalini (Autumn 2000). "Refashioning Mother India: Feminism and Nationalism in Late-Colonial India". Feminist Studies. 26 (3). Feminist Studies, Inc.: 623–644. doi:10.2307/3178643. hdl:2027/spo.0499697.0026.308. JSTOR 3178643.
  5. ^ Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal (2 July 2004). An Autobiography (Tenth ed.). New Delhi: Penguin Books India (Reprint of the Bodley Head original). ISBN 9780143031048. Retrieved 18 May 2017.