SEEPC Report Reveals High Child Marriage Rates Among Iyengars and Jains in Telangana

A recent report from the Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste Survey (SEEEPC) has highlighted a concerning prevalence of child marriage among specific communities in Telangana, India. The findings indicate that Other Caste (OC) Iyengars and Iyers have the highest incidence rate at 21.2%, followed by OC Jains at 11%. These figures are significantly higher than the state average of 5%, which corresponds to approximately 216,000 girls under the age of 18 being married in the region. The data challenges the common perception that child marriage is confined to historically disadvantaged or lower socio-economic groups. Instead, it persists across various social strata, including communities with relatively higher socio-economic indicators. The survey underscores that the proportion of child marriages among Iyengars and Iyers is more than five times the state average, while the rate among Jains is more than double. This revelation calls for targeted interventions and awareness campaigns within these specific communities to address the deep-rooted social practices contributing to this issue, despite their overall economic status.