Assam's Muslim Marriage, Divorce Registration Bill 2024: All You Need To Know

The bill, known as the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, will mandate government registration for all Muslim marriages and divorces in the state.

The Assam government is all set to introduce the "Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024" in the upcoming state assembly session starting August 22. The bill, approved by the state cabinet, makes it mandatory for Muslim marriages and divorces to be registered with the government, rather than with Kazis (Muslim clerics).

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the new law aims to combat child marriage and ensure that all Muslim marriages are registered by the Sub Registrar of the Assam government. The bill also prohibits marriage registration for individuals under 18 years old.

Here are the key highlights of Assam's Muslim Marriages, Divorces Registration Bill 2024:

- Compulsory Registration: Muslim marriages and divorces must be registered with the Assam government, rather than with Kazis (Muslim clerics).

- No Registration below 18: Prohibits marriage registration for individuals under 18 years old.

- Registration Authority: The Sub Registrar of the Assam government will be responsible for registering Muslim marriages.

- Fight against Child Marriage: The main aim of the bill is to combat child marriage.

- Protected Areas

• A 5-km radius area around heritage structures (e.g. ancient temples or Namghars) will be declared protected, restricting land transactions to families residing there for 3+ generations.
• Land transactions within these areas restricted to families who have resided there for three generations or more.
• Includes the entire district of Majuli.

The government also plans to introduce a new law requiring compulsory security clearance for opening universities in the state. This move comes after suspicious activities were detected among some institutions from Kerala trying to open universities in Muslim-majority areas of Assam.

"Previous policies, under Congress, allowed easy establishment of educational institutions without adequate security checks," Sarma said. "Our new act will ensure that nursing, medical, and dental colleges undergo thorough security clearance before they can open."

The Chief Minister criticized the previous administration for its lax regulations and stressed the need for stringent background checks to ensure the safety and integrity of educational institutions in Assam. The new security clearance provision is expected to be implemented within the next 2-3 months.