The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill which makes it mandatory to register all marriages, irrespective of religion. The bill, however, does not have a provision make the unregistered marriages void.
“The message that marriages must be registered must reach everybody in the country. But this act is not meant to invalidate all that has happened without registration,” said Union law and justice minister Kapil Sibal during the debate on the bill. “After all, marriages will take place and many people will not register. If two people live together and wish not to register the marriage, they will face the consequences, we cannot force them to register,” Mr Sibal added.
“There is enough space within the legislation to allow everybody to do what they want to do, and at the same time make them realise there are enough benefits in registering marriage,” Mr Sibal added.
The new bill amends the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 which regulates the registration of births and deaths to include the registration of marriages within its purview. The bill requires that all marriages, irrespective of religion, shall be registered either under the act or the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 or any other existing state laws. The RS also passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2011, which seeks to remove a lacunae relating to overseas Indian citizens, paving way for registration of “overseas Indian cardholders” instead of “overseas citizens of India”. An amendment to bring within the scope of citizenship a person who is ordinarily a resident” instead of the person who has been residing in India for a specified period. However, no person who has been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or any other country as provided for by the government shall be eligible for registration as an overseas Indian cardholder.
Speaking during the debate, minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran said facilities to “overseas Indian cardholders will be exactly the same as the overseas citizens.”
On dual membership to Indians who are citizens of another country, he said, “About dual citizens, the Constitution provides that once a person is citizen of another country, he loses Indian citizenship.”