Mumbai: In a bid to curb child marriages, the Maharashtra government is considering making it mandatory to print the birth dates of both the bride and groom on wedding invitation cards.Maharashtra mulls birth dates on wedding cards to curb child marriagesWomen and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare informed the assembly on Wednesday that the State Child Rights Commission recommended the proposal, and the government is examining it.Tatkare said consultations are underway with the Rural Development Department and the Law and Judiciary Department before a final decision is made. The government has also sought information from Rajasthan, where a similar provision has already been implemented.Tatkare said the state may consider suitable amendments to the existing legal framework if required.The minister said the state government has strengthened enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the rules notified in 2022. District-level action committees and village child protection committees have been empowered to prevent child marriages and initiate legal action when necessary.She said Anganwadi workers, local officials and district administrations are actively involved in detecting and stopping such cases.The government aims to reduce the state’s child marriage rate to below 10% within five years.According to official data, the state recorded a rate of 19.6% against the national average of 20.1% in the latest assessment. Official figures also showed a steady rise in preventive interventions. Authorities stopped 1,495 child marriages in 2024-25, up from 147 in 2018-19. So far this year, officials have prevented 1,434 child marriages and registered 136 FIRs.Tatkare said Beed and five other districts remain particularly vulnerable because of migration among sugarcane-cutting workers. The government is exploring special care and shelter facilities for children from migrant families to reduce the risk of child marriages in such regions.While the trend is improving, the minister said the state’s focus remains on bringing the prevalence rate down to single digits over the coming years.