In a significant move, government will bring in a bill in Parliament’s Budget Session for registration of marriages under a law for recording of births and deaths, notwithstanding one’s religious affiliation, thereby providing legal protection especially in the cases of inter-religious matrimony.
The Union Cabinet
also approved introduction of the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 to provide for
registration of marriage of Sikhs, fulfilling a long standing demand of the
community.
The Cabinet
approved introduction of the bill in the Budget session to amend the Registration
of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to include registration of marriages as well,
according to the honorable Union Minister Kapil Sibal.
While marriages of Sikhs along
with those of Buddhists and Jains are currently registered under the Hindu
Marriage Act, Muslims, Parsis, Christians, and Jews have separate Acts for
registration of their marriages. The proposed bill will save the women from
unnecessary harassment in matrimonial and maintenance cases. It will also
provide evidentiary value in the matters of custody of children both from the
wedlock and the age of the person’s marriage.
In February
2006, the Supreme Court had directed the states and the central government that
registration of marriages of all people who are citizens of India and belonging
to various religious denominations should be made compulsory in their
respective states where they are solemnized.
The 18th
Law Commission of India in its 205th report dealing with amendments
to the “Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and Other Allied Laws” had
recommended that the government should make registration of marriages of all
communities within a stipulated period of times, and it is mandatory.
The Commission
had also recommended legislation on compulsory registration of marriages by
enacting a “Marriage and Divorce Registration Act” applicable to the whole of
India, without any “exceptions or exemptions”.
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