Assam Cabinet Approves Mandatory Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Rules
· India · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
The Assam cabinet on Thursday approved the Assam Muslim Marriage Registration (Compulsory) Rules, 2026, two years after the state assembly passed legislation making such registration mandatory. Under the new rules, Muslim couples will register their marriages at common registrar offices, with panchayat-level registration available if application volumes are high. The legislation replaces the 1935 Act that previously allowed voluntary registration through Kazis and permitted minor marriages with guardian consent. Marriages and divorces must now be registered within 30 days and one month, respectively. Producing forged certificates can lead to up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of up to ₹10,000, along with forgery trials under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Why it matters
Muslim couples, Kazis, and government registrars in Assam are directly affected by the new legal framework that shifts marriage and divorce registration from religious scholars to government-appointed authorities.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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