Milestones

Petition filled in Supreme Court challenging discrimination with minor girls who are forced into illegal child marriage and denied rights as a girl child. Constitutional validity of Exception 2 of Section 375, Indian Penal Code, 1860 was challenged

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Supreme Court of India: Supreme Court of India on 11 October 2017 (the International Girl Child Day) in the matter Independent Thought vs. Union of India (W.P. Civil 382 of 2013) where the Exception 2 to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, which allowed marital rape within child marriages, was read down. The apex court ruled the "Exception in rape law is discriminatory, capricious and arbitrary... It violates the bodily integrity of the girl child. If a man has sexual intercourse with a wife who is below 18 years, it will be an offence of rape. The minor wife can complain against the husband within one year".

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Launch of #Mission2029: the CACM organized a commemorative meeting on the occasion of 1 year of the landmark Independent Thought Judgment on 11 October, 2018 and after a wide consultation, launched the campaign #Mission2029 with a firm focus to work on legal reform and accountable state for protecting rights of the girl children.

Parliament of India: Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development, Smt. Smriti Irani, while introducing the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, 21 December, quoted the landmark Supreme Court judgment, Independent Thought vs. UOI [(2017) 10 SCC 800] to highlight the Special and Secular character of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006.

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Parliamentary Standing Committee: Independent Thought was invited to share views / suggestion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports (EWCY&S) on the “Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021” on 17th May 2022 .

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