The Centre on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that a task force has been constituted to study the issue of minimum age of girl entering motherhood.
The Centre's submissions were made during the hearing of a PIL seeking equality in legal age of marriage for men and women.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar was informed about Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent speech while presenting the Budget in Parliament where she discussed the issue of age of girls entering motherhood.
The minister had said in her speech, "Women's age of marriage was increased from fifteen years to eighteen years in 1978, by amending erstwhile Sharda Act of 1929. As India progresses further, opportunities open up for women to pursue higher education and careers.
"There are imperatives of lowering maternal mortality rate (MMR) as well as improvement of nutrition levels. Entire issue about age of a girl entering motherhood needs to be seen in this light. I propose to appoint a task force that will present its recommendations in six months' time."