On Saturday, a study released by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad revealed that child marriages have continued to remain one of the biggest social issues in India, with almost 50% of the women getting married even before hitting the minimum legal marriageable age of 18.

"Marriage happens very early for most of the women in most states - one fifth were married below the age of 15 years and 49 percent were married before turning 18. Not only did marriage occur at young age but it was also often arranged without the participation of young people themselves, particularly young women. Majority of them said that their parents did not seek their approval while selecting their spouse", the study said.

The study was carried out in a total of six Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, between 2006 and 2008, and as many as 58,000 young subjects were involved from the age group of 15-29 years.

The situation, as revealed by the study, was the worst in Bihar, with 77% of the women getting married before 18.