Business · India Bureau
Karnataka bars Aadhaar as age proof in marriage registration
The southern Indian state of Karnataka has tightened marriage registration procedures by prohibiting Aadhaar cards as valid age documentation. The directive addresses concerns over discrepancies between Aadhaar records and birth certificates that have facilitated child marriages.
LSN India ·
Karnataka's registrar of marriages has issued new guidelines restricting the use of Aadhaar as a primary document to verify age during marriage registration, officials said. The decision stems from instances where age details recorded in Aadhaar cards have conflicted with information in birth certificates, creating loopholes that enabled underage couples to obtain marriage certificates.
Under the revised rules, applicants seeking to register marriages must now provide authenticated birth certificates or other government-issued documents that independently verify their age. Aadhaar can no longer serve as the sole or primary evidence of age in the marriage registration process, officials clarified.
The move is part of Karnataka's broader efforts to combat child marriage, a persistent social challenge across India. Authorities have increasingly recognized that documentation discrepancies create opportunities for violations of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which sets the minimum marriage age at 18 for women and 21 for men.
The state's civil registration department has instructed marriage registrars across all districts to implement the new guidelines strictly. Officials said applicants will face scrutiny to ensure documents are genuine and ages are correctly verified before marriage certificates are issued. The directive aims to strengthen the integrity of the marriage registration system while protecting minors from early marriage.