New Rajasthan Law Faces Questions Over Validating Child Marriages

The government said registering all marriages is based on a Supreme Court order. The opposition said the new law will encourage child marriage.

The controversy over a new state law pertaining to the registration of marriages is roiling Rajasthan. While the Congress-led government has said there was nothing new but a technical change made to an older piece of legislation, the opposition is convinced it validates the social evil of child marriage.  

The Rajasthan Compulsory Registration Of Marriages (Amendment) Bill passed by the state Assembly on Friday tweaked Section 8 of a 2009 Act. This clause now states that "if the bride is under 18 and the bridegroom is under 21", their parents must register the marriage within 30 days of the event. In the 2009 version, the age criterion was 21 years for both.

The opposition had staged a walkout from the Assembly over the change.

"By amending the marriage registration Act, they have opened the floodgates by saying that if the bride is below 18 and the groom below 21, their marriage can be registered by just application," said Rajendra Rathore, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly.