Sarda Act

Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 (Also known as the Sarda Act), passed on 28 September 1929 in the British India Legislature of India, fixed the age of marriage for girls at 14 years and boys at 18 years which was later amended to 18 for girls and 21 for boys. It is popularly known as the Sarda Act, after its sponsor Harbilas Sarda. It came into effect six months later on April 1, 1930 and it applies to all of British India, not just to Hindus. It was a result of social reform movement in India. Despite strong opposition from the British authorities, the legislation was passed by the British Indian Government which had a majority of Indians. However, it lacked implementation from the British Indian government, largely due to the fear of British authorities losing support from their loyal Hindu and Muslim communalist groups.

Various bills addressing questions on the age of consent were introduced in the Indian legislatures and defeated. In 1927, Rai Sahib Harbilas Sarda introduced his Hindu Child Marriage Bill in the Central Legislative Assembly. Under the pressure of world opinion, the social reformists in India and Nationalist freedom fighters, the Government referred the Bill to a select committee named as the Age of Consent Committee headed by Sir Moropant Visavanath Joshi, the Home Member of Central Provinces. The other members of the committee were Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, Khan Bahadur Mathuk, Mian Imam Baksh Kadu, Mrs. O. Brieri Beadon, Rameshwari Nehru, Satyendra Chandra Mitra, Thakur Dass Bhargava, Maulvi Muhammad Yakub, Mian Sir Muhammad Shah Nawaz and M. D. Sagane as Secretary.

The All India Women's Conference, Women's Indian Association and National Council of Women in India, through their members developed and articulated the argument in favour of raising of the age for marriage and consent before the Joshi Committee. Muslim women presented their views to the Joshi Committee in favour of raising the age limit of marriage even when they knew that they would face opposition from Muslim Ulemas.

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