Registration of Marriage under the Special Marriage Act in India
In India, all marriages can be registered either under their respective personal laws (Hindu Marriage Act, 1955/Muslim Marriage Act, 1954) or under the Special Marriage Act,1954. A marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 enables people from two distinct religious backgrounds to unite in the marriage bond. Unlike personal laws, the Special Marriage Act’s applicability extends to all Indian citizens regardless of their religion. Although marriage laws allow only the registration of an already solemnized marriage under personal laws, the Special Marriage Act provides for both solemnizations and legal registration. The Special Marriage Act has designed a simple means of legally registering a marriage between two people of different religions, but even if both the concerned parties belong to the same religion, they may choose to register the marriage under this Act. This is a step-by-step procedure to apply in India for a Special Marriage Act.
Special Marriage Act-1954
The Special Marriage Act deals with inter-caste and inter-religion marriages. Inter caste marriage is a marriage between people of two different castes. The days had gone by when people used to marry wherever their parents decided to blindly. The youth now have their own saying and choice and prefer to marry someone who is more compatible with them than marrying someone who belongs to their caste or religion. It is them who have to live for the whole of their life with their partner and therefore, caste or religion is not a matter of utmost consideration now at all. Love is a beautiful emotion, and something like caste or religion should not weigh it up. All religions are equal, and marriage shouldn’t be a big deal among them.
Applicability
This information is the most important for every Indian to know how they can use it. This Act includes Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists marriages. This act applies to all Indian states, except Jammu & Kashmir. This Act applies not only to Indian citizens who belong to different castes and religions but also to Indian nationals who live abroad.
