The establishment of a single government junior college in Kapra mandal, which is home to one of the largest dumping yards and several vulnerable low-incoming residential areas, has the potential to prevent 10 to 20 child marriages annually, experts opine.
In the Medchal-Malkajgiri district, nine out of the 14 mandals have no government colleges, leading many parents to refrain from enrolling their daughters for Intermediate education due to safety concerns. Experts assert that the likelihood of a girl getting married increases when she drops out of school.
Recently, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) results were announced by the state government, and the admission process for various junior colleges has already commenced. However, the nearest junior college for students in the Jawaharnagar slums, located in Kapra mandal, is situated 10 km away in Neredmet, making it difficult for all girls to secure admission.
According to the recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS), Telangana has the highest incidence of women marrying before the age of 18 in southern India, with a rate of 23.5 per cent. A recent study on child marriages conducted by the Council for Social Development (CSD) in Hyderabad revealed that ensuring girls complete at least Intermediate education can significantly reduce the rate of child marriage.
Concerns of safety
Last year, a girl who grew up in a toxic home environment was married off shortly after receiving her SSC results, even though she had enrolled in a residential school. However, she returned within three days, citing issues with the food and living conditions.
To avoid sending their child far away for studies, the parents of Fatima (name changed) have already arranged her engagement. Despite achieving a 7.6 GPA in SSC at the age of 14, her father, a car driver, is hesitant to postpone the marriage out of concern that his daughter may engage in romantic relationships. The absence of a nearby college where she can continue her education while being monitored by her family exacerbates the situation.
“The environment around here is not safe at all. A few days ago, we beat up a man who was stalking and catcalling my daughter,” said the father of a girl, who dropped out from Intermediate in her first semester last year. They reside in Gabbilalpet slum.“The lack of safety in Kapra mandal has raised serious child protection concerns, resulting in a significant increase in dropout rates and the prevalence of child marriages,” stated Chennaiah Badugu, senior manager at Child Rights and You (CRY).
CRY intervened in seven child marriages within five slums last year, and these figures are likely to be substantially higher when extrapolated to a hundred slums, Chennaiah added.
A steep mountain to climb
A couple of private colleges have been established in the area, but their fees amount to approximately Rs 30,000 per year, making them unaffordable for impoverished households. Male students also face similar challenges and often become victims of child labour, although their numbers are limited.
“For a disadvantaged girl, reaching the 10th grade is an arduous struggle. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that she can continue her education,” said Prof Shantha Sinha, a Raman Magsaysay awardee recognised for her work on child labour.
She further noted that dropping out of education significantly increases the chances of a girl getting married, leading to poor health, domestic abuse and perpetual disempowerment. Instead of allocating funds to programmes like Kalyana Lakshmi, which keeps girls from getting married of, the government should invest that money in their education, Prof Sinha suggested.
Himaithulla, the Medchal-Malkajgiri District Intermediate Education Officer, said a feasibility report for the establishment of new government junior colleges in Kapra and Uppal has already been submitted to the officials. However, there has been no response thus far.
“Around 1,500 to 2,000 students from Kapra mandal passed the SSC examination this year. To establish a new college, we require a minimum of three acres of land, a corpus fund of Rs 3 lakh and a recommendation from the MLA,” he added
