Training organized under the hosting of NLU and UNICEF, explained the legal and counseling process of
annulment and prevention of child marriage and the responsibilities of the officers
Jodhpur. Dr. Kriti Bharti, Managing Trustee of Saarthi Trust, Rehabilitation Psychologist and Child Rights
Advocate, jointly trained the officers of various departments of Jharkhand district on eradication of child
marriages, legal process of annulment and rehabilitation, counseling and effective execution of
responsibilities of the officers. The officials were also informed about child protection laws.
Center for Child Rights of National University of Study and Research Law (NLU), UNICEF Jharkhand and
Jharkhand State Child Protection Society, Jharkhand State Jointly hosted training on prevention of child
marriage, gender violence, effective prevention of child-centric risks, mental health and psychosocial
Support focused training was organized. In which residential training was given to various training
officers of Jharkhand State Women and Child Development Department, UNICEF, CCS, JSPLS, SKIPA, CIP,
RINPAS, Higher and School Education Department. In this special training, child and women rights
activist and advocate Dr. Kriti Bharti, who was the first person to annul the child marriage in the country,
was included as a special trainer.
Dr. Kriti Bharti trained the above officials to work effectively for eradication of child marriage,
annulment of child marriage and rehabilitation in which responsibilities of officers for prevention of
child marriages, orientation and public awareness, developing ground force, on spot action process for
child marriage, solutions to the challenges coming into the field, POCSO, JJ Act and Child Marriage
Prohibition Act, and also gave lecture on counseling and rehabilitation efforts for victims etc. At the
same time, to completely end child marriage, they were also informed about the legal process of
annulling the child marriages.
On this occasion, Vikas Kumar, Deputy Secretary of State Child Protection Society of Jharkhand State,
JSA Lecturer Thakur Gauri Shankar Sharma of SIRD Ranchi, JSA Officer Incharge of State Institute of Rural
Development Jitendra Singh, UNICEF CPS Preeti Srivastava, Unicef Jharkhand Child Protection Officer
Gaurav Yadav, NLU Officer Debarshi were also present and others congratulated Dr. Kriti Bharti for her
courageous work. At the same time, Dr. Kriti Bharti’s bold campaign to abolish and prevent child
marriage was praised openly.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Kriti Bharti keeps giving regular training in renowned institutes like Mussoorie
IAS Training Institute LBSNAA, Sashastra Seema Bal, State and District Legal Authority, Police Training
Institute, RIPA Jaipur and UNICEF etc. Dr. Kriti had taken a unique initiative by getting the country’s first
child marriage annulled. Till now, Dr. Kriti has annulled the child marriages of 50 pairs and stopped
thousands of child marriages which was included in 9 records including Limca Book of Records, Asia
Book of Records, World Records India, India Book of Records. Dr. Kriti’s campaign was also included in
the CBSE curriculum. Dr. Kriti Bharti has been awarded the Change Maker Award by the international
organization Girls Not Brides, International Honor in London, apart from being included in the BBC’s list
of 100 Inspirational Women, she has been awarded many national and international honors including
Global Award, Marwar Ratna, Mewar Ratna.
