THE NEWS FREEDOM
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 16
The Law Commission of India has recommended making marriage registration mandatory for all Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) marrying Indian citizens, aiming to address rising concerns over fraudulent marriages and abandonment. “The rising occurrence of fraudulent marriages involving NRIs marrying Indian partners is a worrisome trend,” the Law Commission said in a report submitted to the Central government recently. The report proposes a comprehensive central law governing such marriages, said the Central government in an official statement issued on Friday.
“The said comprehensive central legislation should also include provisions on divorce, maintenance of spouse, custody and maintenance of children, the serving of summons, warrants, or judicial documents on the NRIs,” the Commission said. The recommendation stems from a 2019 bill on NRI marriage registration and aims to strengthen legal protections for Indian spouses in cross-border marriages. The proposed law would also cover individuals holding OCI status, which grants certain privileges to foreign citizens of Indian origin.
Important Recommendations
Compulsory registration: All NRI-Indian and OCI-Indian marriages must be registered in India.
Divorce and maintenance: The law should address procedures for divorce, spousal maintenance, and child custody, including serving legal documents on NRIs/OCIs abroad.
Passport amendments: The Passports Act should be amended to require declaring marital status and linking spouses’ passports, with marriage registration numbers listed.
Awareness programs: The government, collaborating with women’s rights groups, should conduct awareness programs for women marrying NRIs/OCIs.