Mysuru district has reported a concerning total of 32 cases of child pregnancies in just seven months, from April to the end of October 2025. Authorities and child rights experts have identified child marriages as a primary driver behind these incidents. However, there is a silver lining: the numbers show a declining trend compared to previous years, a change largely attributed to increased legal vigilance and the fear of police action.
Official Data Reveals Year-on-Year Comparison
Providing these figures in response to a question from MLC Govinda Raju, Karnataka's Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Laxmi Hebbalkar, presented a detailed breakdown. The data shows that Mysuru recorded 53 cases in the 2024-25 financial year. This was preceded by 14 cases in 2023-24 and 15 cases in the 2022-23 period. The minister also detailed the various interventions her department has implemented to tackle and ultimately eradicate this deep-rooted social challenge.
Discrepancy in Data and a Neighbouring District's High Numbers
While discussing the southern region's situation, Minister Hebbalkar noted that Chamarajanagar district recorded 38 cases in the first eight months of 2025-26, marking the highest figure among the southern districts of Karnataka. However, sources within the state health department offered a clarification, stating that their official records show only 14 such pregnancies reported in Chamarajanagar for that period, highlighting a potential discrepancy in data collection between departments.
Fear of Legal Action Acts as a Deterrent
Activists and former committee members point to stricter enforcement as a key reason for the improving statistics. E Dhananjaya, a former member of the Child Welfare Committee, explained that the decline in child pregnancies over recent years is due to multiple factors, with the fear of the law being paramount. "Even in instances of child marriages, many families avoid early pregnancies due to the possibility of police cases," Dhananjaya stated.
He further elaborated that healthcare stakeholders have been systematically sensitized on this issue. "Whenever a minor who is pregnant visits a healthcare centre for a check-up, senior officials are immediately informed. This fear of legal action has significantly reduced such cases," he noted. An anonymous activist echoed this sentiment, affirming that robust surveillance and reporting initiatives against child marriages and pregnancies are yielding results. The activist urged government agencies to aim higher, targeting a reduction to single-digit cases to ensure a lasting positive impact on the health and overall well-being of young girls.
The concerted efforts by the women and child welfare department, combined with proactive reporting mechanisms in the health sector, appear to be creating a deterrent effect. While the reported numbers remain a serious concern, the emerging downward trend offers a cautious hope that continued legal and social pressure can further mitigate this issue in Mysuru and across Karnataka.
