NALSA (ASHA – Awareness, Support, Help & Action) SOP towards eliminating Child Marriage 2025

Beneficiary:

The primary beneficiaries of the scheme are children, particularly girls, who are vulnerable to or have already become victims of child marriage. In addition to direct victims, the scheme indirectly benefits parents, caregivers, community leaders, school officials, para-legal volunteers, and child protection personnel by equipping them with the tools, training, and support to intervene, prevent, and rehabilitate effectively.

Benefits:

The ASHA scheme offers free legal assistance and representation for victims of child marriage, including help filing complaints or appearing in court. It ensures access to shelter, psychological counseling, and rehabilitation, including education and vocational training opportunities. District-level ASHA Units are formed to coordinate services, conduct outreach campaigns, and train stakeholders such as Anganwadi workers, para-legal volunteers, and local law enforcement. The scheme also emphasizes community awareness and early intervention, with provisions for continuous monitoring of reported cases and inter-agency coordination.