Bill on mandatory marriages registration to be brought afresh

Government is initiating steps to introduce a bill afresh for making registration of marriages compulsory.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Lok Sabha today that since a previous bill on the issue had lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha, "now steps are being initiated for introduction of the bill afresh".

In a written reply, Prasad said the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012 to provide for compulsory registration of marriages irrespective of the religious denomination of the "parties" or couples was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on May 7, 2012. It was passed by the Upper House on August 13, 2013.

The Bill could not reach the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage and has lapsed following the dissolution of the lower house on February 21 this year.

He said all states and Union Territories, except Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, have made Acts or rules or orders providing for compulsory registration of marriages.

While moving the bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha, the then Law Minister Kapil Sibal had said the government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court against its earlier order in 2006, where it had sought to scrutinise the law after it was passed by Parliament.

"The Supreme Court had rendered this judgement in 2006 that the law once passed in Parliament must be placed before the court for scrutiny. We are not entirely happy with this direction...We will be filing a review petition. This part of judgement should be expunged," Sibal had said.