Kumar Prabhat
Dumka
Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) report for 2023–24 presents an uneven trajectory in the campaign against underage marriage across the Santhal Pargana division. While four districts have registered measurable success in bringing down the percentage of women married before turning 18, reversals in Pakur and Sahibganj underscore lingering structural and social hurdles.
Leading the turnaround, Godda achieved the sharpest reduction across the division, trimming its numbers by 13.3 percentage points from 48.5 percent in 2019–21 down to 35.2 percent in 2023–24. Dumka documented noticeable progress as well, lowering its rate from 50.5 percent to 44.2 percent, while Jamtara saw an improvement from 43.1 percent to 36 percent. Deoghar experienced a modest decline from 49.2 percent to 48.1 percent, remaining the district with the highest overall prevalence of child marriage in the division.
On the other end of the spectrum, Pakur and Sahibganj witnessed an increase in cases. Pakur posted the steepest rise with a 2.5 percentage point hike, moving up from 43.4 percent to 45.9 percent to take second place behind Deoghar. Sahibganj also recorded a slight upward tick, inching from 39.9 percent to 40.6 percent.
The findings indicate that while administrative initiatives and educational programs have generated positive outcomes in Godda and Jamtara, entrenched poverty, high school dropout figures among adolescent girls, and persistent social pressures continue to impede progress in vulnerable pockets of Pakur and Sahibganj.
