Parliament (File photo) NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Standing Committee will take up the issue of the age of marriage for men and women next week as a bill aimed at bringing uniformity in the matter has lapsed with the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. The secretary of the Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) and representatives of the National Coalition Advocating for Adolescent Concerns (NCAAC) and the Young Voices Campaign will appear before the panel at its November 22 meeting on the proposed changes in the marriage age for children and other women-related legislation. According to the agenda of the meeting, the panel on education, women, children, youth and sports headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh will also hear the WCD secretary on the functioning of various statutory and autonomous bodies such as the National Commission for Women, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Central Adoption Resource Authority, and the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2021 was referred to the standing committee and got several extensions. The Bill ultimately lapsed with the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. Asked about the issue being taken up even as the Bill has lapsed, a senior member of the panel said, "There is no bar on taking up the issue".
The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, aimed to amend the Prohibiti.