“Marrying in childhood has the effect of objectifying the child,” the bench said. New Delhi: Issuing a slew of directions for the effective implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the Supreme Court on Friday said that child marriage deprives children of their agency, autonomy, and right to fully develop and enjoy their childhood. A bench, headed by CJI DY Chandrachud, ordered state and Union Territory governments to appoint officers solely responsible for discharging the functions of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) at the district level. “These officers should not be burdened with additional duties that could impede their focus on preventing child marriage,” the bench said. The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) raising the grievance that the rate of child marriages in India is alarming despite the enactment of the 2006 Act. The PIL highlighted the practice of appointing an officer with multifarious duties as the CMPO impeded the effectiveness of child marriage prevention measures. In its judgment, the Supreme …