Will reconsider minimum age of marriage for daughters: PM Modi in I-Day address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the government has set up a committee to reconsider and determine the right age of marriage for girls in the country. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he said that the welfare of women is of paramount importance for his government. At the moment, the minimum age of marriage for women is 18.

Pointing out that a number of welfare issues for women had been launched by his government, he said that women have made India proud and strengthened it on every opportunity they receive.

“We will take appropriate decision after the committee submits its report,” he said.

“Today, nation is determined to provide equal opportunities of self-employment and employment to them. Today women are working in coal mines, our daughters are touching the sky while flying fighter plane,” he added.

He pointed out that women are now getting six months maternity leave apart from a regular salary during this period. Talking about his government’s achievement of banning Triple Talakh in the country, he said that this has assisted thousands of Muslim women gain freedom from an oppressive system.

We have set up committee to reconsider the minimum age for marriage of our daughters. We will take appropriate decision after the committee submits its report: PM Narendra Modi #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/vXSyDlsq2x

— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2020

“Out of 40 crore jan dhan accounts, 22 crore accounts belong to women. During this trying period of Corona, we ensured that Rs 30,000 crore was transferred to their accounts. Out of the 25 crore Mudra loans given, 75 per cent of the loan seekers as well as recipients are women. In our PM Awas Yojana scheme, most of the recipients of these houses are also women. We are also working relentlessly for the improved health for women in the country,” the PM said.

He also said sanitary pads as inexpensive as Re 1 per pad, had been developed and 5 crore women across the country have benefited from it.