Politics · India Bureau
Assam cabinet mandates compulsory registration of Muslim marriages
Assam's cabinet has approved rules establishing a uniform framework for mandatory registration of Muslim marriages across the state. The new regulations shift registration authority from religious officials to government registrars.
LSN India ·
The Assam cabinet on Thursday approved the Muslim Marriage Registration (Compulsory) Rules, 2026, establishing standardised procedures for registering all Muslim marriages in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced. The rules have been framed under Section 25 of the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriage and Divorces Act, 2024, which was passed last year.
Under the new framework, government registrars will handle all Muslim marriage registrations. The cabinet has also authorised the delegation of registration responsibilities to certain panchayat-level officials in areas where application volumes are high, ensuring broader accessibility across rural regions.
Sarma noted that a previous government directive had prohibited traditional kazis from registering Muslim marriages, but no alternative registration mechanism had been specified at the time. The new rules address this gap by instituting government registrars as the primary registration authority.
In separate cabinet decisions, the government approved a one-time exemption for women members of self-help groups (SHGs) to complete their Aadhaar enrolment by March 31, 2027, providing extended time for financial inclusion documentation.