Assam Government Renames Child Protection Officers to Child Marriage Prohibition Officers

To strengthen its fight against child marriage, the Assam government has renamed all District Child Protection Officers as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) with immediate effect. The Women and Child Development Department issued a notification detailing that CMPOs will carry out duties under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and Assam’s 2015 rules. They are empowered to file FIRs under laws protecting children from sexual offences and child marriage. CMPOs will work alongside Gram Panchayat Secretaries and Lot Mandals for better coordination. In 2023, Assam’s crackdown on child marriage resulted in over 5,300 arrests and 5,800 case registrations.