India: Assam Makes Muslim Marriage Registration Mandatory

The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, making the registration of Muslim marriages and divorces with the government compulsory, The Hindu reported yesterday.

Introduced by Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan, the bill replaces the outdated Assam Moslem Marriages and Divorces Registration Act of 1935.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the legislation as historic, aiming to eliminate the Qazi system and combat child marriage among Muslims. He emphasized that the bill respects Muslim Personal Law and Islamic marriage rituals while mandating that all marriages be registered with the government, adhering to legal age requirements of 18 for girls and 21 for boys.

Sarma noted that the Act would improve monitoring and prevent underage and forced marriages, addressing significant legal gaps in the previous system. Currently, Assam has 90 Qazis, primarily government teachers, who will now be replaced by Sub-Registrars for marriage registrations.