Marriage Registration Act, The Supreme Court on 24th October 2007 ordered compulsory registration of marriages irrespective of religion. It directed the Centre and all the States and Union Territories to amend the rules to this effect within three months.

A Bench consisting of Justices Arijit Pasayat and S. H. Kapadia issued the direction on a petition filed by Seema, a divorcee, seeking directions for making the registration compulsory. It asked the Union Government to give publicity to this order and said the public could give their objections within a month.

The new rules should be notified after taking into consideration their objections. The Centre and the States should incorporate appropriate provisions for the consequences of non-registrations and false declaration during the registration of marriage.

• While Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh enacted a law, other States remain without any legislation for registration of marriages.