NEW DELHI, Oct 16 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government will soon take a decision on revising the minimum age of marriage for girls after it receives report from the committee set up for this.
The Prime Minister said the girls� gross enrolment ratio in education has turned higher than that of boys for the first time in the country because of several efforts taken by the government in the last six years.
Modi was addressing a video conference after releasing a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination on the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
�There is an important deliberation going on to decide what should be the ideal age of marriage for daughters,� Modi said.
The Prime Minister said he has been receiving letters from women from across the country, asking about the report of the committee and when the government will take a decision on it.
�I want to assure them, the government will soon take its decision after the submission of the report,� Modi said.
In his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister had announced that the government was deliberating on what should be the minimum age of marriage for women and has set up a committee to look into the matter.
Currently, the minimum age of marriage is 18 years for women and 21 for men.
The Prime Minister highlighted the efforts taken by his government in the last six years to fight against malnutrition.
The Prime Minister said his government has taken an integrated and holistic approach to deal with the challenge of malnutrition.
The government has adopted a multi-dimensional strategy to work on all those factors responsible for high malnutrition, he added.
The government has started the National Nutrition Mission, Modi informed.
On malnutrition, the Prime Minister said the FAO has closely followed India�s fight against this problem in past decades.
Some departments at different levels in the country made efforts but the scope was either limited or scattered, he pointed out.
Modi said pregnancy at tender age, lack of education and awareness, inadequate availability of pure drinking water and lack of cleanliness were some of the factors due to which the desired results against malnutrition could not be achieved earlier. � PTI
