Don’t rely only on Aadhaar for marriage age verification: Karnataka child rights panel

The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has urged the government to ensure proper age verification during marriage registrations to prevent child marriages.

KSCPCR expressed concern that accepting only Aadhaar as proof of age could increase underage marriages.

The panel called for implementation of the Child Marriage Prohibition (Karnataka) Rules, 2014, and recommended accepting birth certificates, school records, SSLC marks cards, or medical certificates instead of relying solely on Aadhaar.

Former KSCPCR member KT Thippeswamy stated that Aadhaar is primarily an identity document and its date of birth may be based on self-declaration, not conclusive proof.

KSCPCR asked the registration department to instruct marriage registration officers against relying solely on Aadhaar and to conduct awareness programmes for officials.