Agartala, July 18 -- Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday said the state government is considering introducing a policy that would require couples to register their marriages before the actual ceremony.

The proposed policy aims to prevent child marriages through stricter verification of age and documentation.

Saha made the statement while addressing an awareness programme under the Drug-Free India Campaign at Gandhigram Higher Secondary School in the Bamutia block.

He said that birth certificates would be made mandatory to ensure that individuals meet the legal age for marriage - 18 years for women and 21 years for men - before registration. The Chief Minister said the proposed step would help create a legal safeguard prior to...