Special Marriage Act 1954
Special Marriage Act 1954 PDF has been introduced by the Parliament of India with provision for civil marriage (or “registered marriage”) for people of India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrelevant of the religion or faith followed by either party. The Act originated from a piece of legislation proposed during the late 19th century. Marriages solemnized under Special Marriage Act are not governed by personal laws.
The purpose of the Special Marriage Act is to cater to inter-caste and inter-religion marriages, whereby the couple is not required to renounce his/her religion to get married. The registration can also happen with them maintaining their religious identity. To safeguard the interest of people, who defy social practices and decide to marry someone outside their caste or religion, the Special Marriage Act of 1954 was created. This provides a special form of marriage for the people of India and Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrespective of the caste and religion they follow.
Special Marriage Act 1954 – Notes
The Special Marriage Act ignores the religious boundaries of the involved parties. This enables people of different faiths to form marital alliances legitimately. This act provides for completely different recourse where there are no religious requirements, which are of paramount consideration in personal laws. Thus, a sound-minded person of any religion, having attained the prerequisite age, can validly solemnize his/her marriage without any hindrance.
The Special Marriage Act has declared that it is compulsory for any marriage solemnised under this act to be registered. It is the one and only ceremonial essential that has been prescribed by this act. Interestingly, it is not necessary for the parties to follow different religions to get married under this act. Even if two Hindus decide to solemnise their marriage under this act, registration of the marriage is mandatory.
You can download the Special Marriage Act 1954 PDF using the link given below.
