From Wedding to Board Exams: How a Headmaster Saved a 15-Year-Old Girl’s Future in Hingoli
In a heartening turn of events, a school headmaster in Hingoli district has become a beacon of hope by rescuing a 15-year-old girl from an impending child marriage, just days before her wedding was scheduled. This incident sheds light on the ongoing struggle against child marriage in Maharashtra's Marathwada region, where poverty and social norms often override legal prohibitions.
A Sudden Change in Behavior Raises Alarm
Pooja, a pseudonym used to protect her identity, is the only daughter of daily wage labourers and a Class 10 student at a government-run school in a village in Hingoli district. At an age when she should have been focused on her upcoming SSC board exams, she found herself counting down to her wedding to a 25-year-old man. Her parents had arranged the marriage, a decision that threatened to abruptly end her education.
The headmaster of her school noticed a sudden and concerning change in Pooja's behavior in class. "She had become unusually quiet. I first spoke to her friends to find out what was wrong and then spoke to her personally," the headmaster recounted. During their conversation, Pooja expressed her distress, revealing that the wedding would mean the end of her studies. She pleaded for help to stop it, as she was eager to continue her education.
Swift Action by the Village Child Protection Committee
Acting promptly, the headmaster, who is also a member of the Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC), informed the Gram Panchayat. The VCPC, a community-based body comprising the sarpanch, Anganwadi workers, women's group members, and police representatives, is tasked with ensuring child safety at the village level. The committee members visited Pooja's home last week and engaged in a persuasive dialogue with her parents.
"We explained to them that child marriage is illegal and that they could face legal action. The mother was in tears, fearing that cancelling the wedding at the last moment would ruin her daughter’s future prospects," the headmaster said. He attributed the family's decision to poverty, noting that marrying off a daughter is often seen as a major responsibility, and early marriage is sometimes viewed as a way to avoid escalating costs. In such scenarios, awareness campaigns are often more effective than punitive measures.
The Persistent Grip of Child Marriage in Marathwada
Child marriage remains a significant issue in Maharashtra, particularly in the Marathwada region, which includes districts like Beed, Parbhani, Jalna, Hingoli, Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Dharashiv. According to the National Family Health Survey 5, a staggering 37.1 per cent of women in Hingoli were married before the legal age. Every year, district authorities intervene in dozens of cases to prevent school-going girls from being pulled out of classrooms and forced into early marriages.
District officials have taken steps to ensure that Pooja's family does not attempt to conduct the marriage again. The VCPC and school authorities are providing counselling to the parents and supporting the girl to ensure she can continue her education. This case is part of broader efforts to combat child marriage in the region.
District Initiatives to Curb Child Marriage
In response to the high incidence of child marriage, the district administration and the Women and Child Development Department have launched several initiatives. In 2025 alone, the District Child Protection Cell prevented 44 child marriages, a significant increase from 16 in 2024, following targeted awareness campaigns.
District Collector Rahul Gupta highlighted that early marriage is a contributing factor to issues like a declining sex ratio. "Girls married at a young age face high-risk pregnancies and have little say in family decisions. This also increases the risk of female foeticide. We have strengthened village-level vigilance to stop child marriages," Gupta said.
As part of the ongoing campaign, the district has implemented several measures:
- Mandatory registration of marriages with village authorities.
- Instructions to wedding halls to alert officials if they suspect a child marriage.
- Directives to priests, imams, and other religious leaders not to solemnise marriages involving minors and to inform authorities if approached.
Today, Pooja is back to studying for her SSC examination, her wedding cancelled, and her childhood restored, at least for now. Her story serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role that vigilant educators and community mechanisms play in safeguarding the futures of young girls in India.
