The Sharda Act, also known as the Child Marriage Restraint Act, was historically enacted in India to deal with which specific social evil?

Introduction / Context:
The Sharda Act is an important landmark in the social reform history of India. It is closely linked with the reform movements that aimed to remove certain harmful customs that affected the lives of women and children. Examinations on general knowledge and Indian polity often test your awareness of major social legislation and the specific issues they addressed. This question focuses on identifying the main purpose of the Sharda Act.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The Act mentioned is the Sharda Act, also known as the Child Marriage Restraint Act.
• The context is social reform in pre independence India.
• You are expected to know which social evil or problem the Act primarily targeted.
• The options mention different categories like scheduled tribes, minorities, child marriage, and women empowerment.

Concept / Approach:
The Child Marriage Restraint Act, commonly called the Sharda Act after Harbilas Sharda who introduced it, was passed in 1929. Its key objective was to discourage and restrict the practice of child marriage by prescribing minimum ages for marriage and penalties for those who conducted or promoted such marriages. Although later laws further revised age limits and enforcement mechanisms, the Sharda Act is historically remembered as the earliest national level legislation targeting child marriage in India. Therefore, the correct concept linked to this Act is restraint of child marriage and not broader issues such as tribal upliftment or general women empowerment.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the full name Child Marriage Restraint Act associated with the Sharda Act.Step 2: Connect the phrase child marriage restraint with efforts to stop early marriages of boys and girls.Step 3: Remember that the Act prescribed minimum marriageable age and provided penalties for violation.Step 4: Evaluate the options and match them with the key term child marriage.Step 5: Select the option that specifically mentions prevention and restraint of child marriage as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify your answer by recalling that issues like upliftment of scheduled tribes and minorities have been addressed by other policies, commissions, and constitutional provisions rather than a single famous Act labeled Sharda. History and polity reference books consistently list the Sharda Act under social reform measures against child marriage. Also, later laws like the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act built on the same idea. This consistent association across sources confirms that the Sharda Act mainly targeted child marriage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Upliftment of scheduled tribes is a broader developmental and protective objective achieved through reservation policies, special commissions, and welfare schemes, not through the Sharda Act. Upliftment of religious minorities is again a wide objective involving educational and economic measures rather than this specific legislation. Empowerment of women is indeed an indirect outcome of discouraging child marriage, but the Act did not focus on all aspects of women empowerment such as property rights or employment; it specifically targeted early marriages. Therefore the option about prevention and restraint of child marriage is the most accurate and focused description.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake in exams is to mark a broad sounding option like empowerment of women because it appears positive and socially progressive. However, competitive exams often require you to remember the precise and primary purpose of a particular Act. In this case, the key is to link the name Child Marriage Restraint Act directly with child marriage. Always pay attention to exact statutory titles; they usually reveal the correct focus area of the law and help you avoid confusion among attractive but vague alternatives.

Final Answer:
The Sharda Act was enacted in India to prevent and restrain the practice of child marriage.