Child marriage is eating as a canker into the vitality of our national life. Girls become mothers while they are children themselves, and bring into the world off—springs, who are, in the very nature of things, the victims of disease and ill health."

In the realm of educational reform, we have urged ever since our inception that there should be free and compulsory education. Again, as far as proper facilities for the female education are concerned until such time as universal, free and compulsory primary education as well as an adequate supply of infant and girl’s schools equipped with trained women teachers are introduced, we must continue to do our utmost to have the system of education in our exiting institutions changed."

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was born on 2nd February 1889 in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India), and belonged to a princely family. She was the only daughter of her parents, Raja Harnam Singh and Rani Harnam Singh.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, she joined the Indian National Congress party, and became socially and politically active. She participated in a number of movements initiated by Mahatma Gandhi for the freedom of India, including a 240 mile march led by Gandhi in March 1930, known as the Dandi march. During the march, Rajkumari was arrested and imprisoned by the authorities of the British Raj.
After India’s independence, Amrit Kaur became part of Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet; she was the first woman to hold Cabinet rank. She was assigned the Ministry of Health, and was the only Indian Christian in the Cabinet. She was also elected the president of World Health Assembly in 1950, a position held by only two women in the first 25 years of the WHO’s history.

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