A survey in eight blocks of Kerala’s Erode district showed that most young pregnant women are school dropouts, District Collector S. Kandasamy said on January 23, 2026. The survey was discussed at the second Expert Committee meeting held at the Collectorate. Early-age marriages lead to pregnancies that cause serious health problems like anaemia, high blood pressure, premature births, and higher maternal death rates, Mr. Kandasamy said. He added, “Children born from such pregnancies often suffer from low birth weight and other health problems.” The Collector also pointed out that early marriages harm girls’ education, job chances, and overall quality of life. They are also illegal. Contrary to the national trend, Kerala sees a high fertility rate even among educated women. Mr. Kandasamy urged all departments to work together to find school dropouts, offer counselling, and get them back to school. He stressed raising awareness in schools and villages about the dangers of early marriages and pregnancies. District Health Officer P. Aruna, Joint Director of Health Services Jayanthi, Medical College Dean Iravikumar, Chief Educational Officer Manvizhi, City Health Officer Karthikeyan, and others attended the meeting.