Nata Pratha

Current Context : Recently, National Human Rights Commission seeks report on ‘sale of underage girls’ as part of ‘Nata Pratha’.

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices on to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and the States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat over a practice known as ‘Nata Pratha’.

ABOUT NATA PRATHA

• Nata Pratha is a traditional practice prevalent in certain communities in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.
• This practice involves the selling of girls, often on stamp paper, under the guise of marriage.
• The woman typically goes to live with the man, leaving behind the children from her previous marriage.
• It is commonly practiced by the Bhil tribe, is one of the largest tribes in South Asia.