FINE FOR NOT REGISTERING MARRIAGE

Registration of marriages should be made compulsory under law to prevent bigamy, child marriages, the Law Commission of India told the government. It said the time limit to register should be 30 days after which a penalty of could be imposed.

NEW DELHI: Registration of marriages should be made compulsory under law to prevent marriage frauds, bigamy, child marriages and desertions of women by their husbands, the Law Commission of India has told the government.

In its report submitted to the law ministry on Tuesday evening, the law panel, while recommending that registration be legally mandated with a fine for non-compliance within 30 days, also advised the government against making changes to existing personal laws.

Registration is already mandatory in certain states and Union Territories.The panel has recommended amending the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to include marriages.

However, it clarified that the proposal wouldn’t impinge on any personal laws.

“Thus, while Bill does not aim at eliminating the diversity of personal laws, or regional differences seeking merely the registration of marriages regardless of the law under which the marriages are recognised or solemnised, it recommends that these various overlapping and contradicting legislations be borne in mind while framing the rules of registration,” said the report.