📄 Abstract
Child marriage remains a major social and developmental challenge in India, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Although the legal age of marriage for women in India is 18 years, a substantial proportion of girls continue to marry before reaching adulthood. Tripura presents a particularly important case because the prevalence of early marriage remains considerably higher than the national average. This article examines the relationship between child marriage, educational discontinuation and the broader development of rural girls in Tripura. Using a qualitative approach based on thematic analysis of existing scholarly literature, policy documents and ethnographic accounts, the article analyses the social, economic, educational and gender-related consequences of child marriage. The discussion argues that child marriage should not be understood merely as a marriage-related social problem; rather, it is closely connected with poverty, gender inequality, school dropout, early pregnancy, limited economic opportunities, restricted decision-making and intergenerational disadvantage. The article concludes that preventing child marriage requires an integrated rural development strategy centred on girls' education, economic empowerment, community participation, improved secondary and higher-secondary education, and effective implementation of child protection legislation.
🏷️ Keywords
📚 How to Cite:
Twichangma Debbarma , A STUDY ON CHILD MARRIAGE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL GIRLS OF TRIPURA , Volume 12 , Issue 8, August 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 579 - 583 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28897