NationalFriday, 9 October 2026·The Hindu - National
Telangana child marriage prevention: NFHS-5 to NFHS-6 shows decline, but cases continue
Telangana reported a fall in child marriage rates in NFHS-6, while the state also prevented over 1,000 child marriages in 2025-26.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In 2023-24, NFHS-6 showed that 17.9% of women aged 20-24 in Telangana had married before 18, down from 23.5% in NFHS-5 (2019-2021), while the state said 1,245 child marriages were prevented in 2025-26.
Key specifics
- NFHS-5 (2019-2021) recorded 23.5% child marriage among women aged 20-24 in Telangana.
- NFHS-6 for 2023-24 showed the figure had fallen to 17.9%, a decline of 5.6 percentage points.
- The national decline mentioned in the report was 3.2 percentage points, making Telangana’s fall sharper than the all-India average.
- The Telangana Department of Women Development and Child Welfare said 1,245 child marriages were prevented in 2025-26.
- Another 825 child marriages were prevented between April and August 2026, according to the same department.
Exam lens
Social issues and government intervention MCQ angle: NFHS-5, NFHS-6, child marriage, Telangana department data, legal enforcement. TNPSC may ask the percentage change, the survey years, and the role of child marriage prevention mechanisms.