Guj may tweak marriage registration rules

IF THE RULES ARE PASSED, GUJ WILL BECOME THE FIRST STATE TO MANDATE OFFICIAL PARENTAL NOTIFICATION FOR EVERY MARRIAGE REGISTRATION

- Maulik Pathak

Gujarat is preparing to overhaul its marriage registration system and make parental involvement central to the process, especially in cases where the couple has eloped, deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghvi told the state assembly on Friday.

The state is planning to amend the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, 2006 to protect women, prevent fraud and restore transparency amid rising misuse, particularly in “love marriages and elopements”, the minister said, adding that the government has no objection to “genuine love marriages” but will act against deception and exploitation.

“There is no objection to love. But if some Salim posing as a Suresh, traps a girl, we will not spare them,” he said.

‘According to the proposed rules, every marriage registration application will need to be submitted before the assistant registrar, while applicants must attach a declaration stating whether the bride and groom have informed their parents about the marriage.

Moreover, the bride and groom will have to provide the names, addresses, Aadhaar and contact details of their parents in the application. The parents of the bride and groom will be informed within 10 working days as soon as the assistant registrar is satisfied, according to the proposed rules.

The assistant registrar will forward the application to the registrar of the district or taluka concerned. The marriage will be registered 30 days after the registrar is satisfied that the requirements specified in sub-rules have been met. The registrar will upload all these details to an online portal to be created by the government, according to the proposed rules.