AHMEDABAD: Gujarat plans to tighten marriage registration rules: parents to be alerted via WhatsApp for love marriages, 40-day certification window proposed, and stricter identity, witness and notary checks introduced to boost transparency and prevent fraud.
In a move that blends administrative reform with social signalling, the Gujarat government has initiated amendments to the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Rules, triggering a sharp political and social debate over privacy, parental consent and safeguards against identity fraud.
The proposal, announced in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, seeks public objections and suggestions first, before finalising a framework designed to make the marriage registration process “transparent, secure and legally robust”.
At the core of the proposed overhaul lies a controversial provision: once a couple applies for a love marriage registration, the girl’s parents will automatically receive the submitted details through WhatsApp, while the marriage certificate would be issued on the 40th day after application.
The government argues this delay window creates a verification buffer to detect coercion, misrepresentation or forged identity claims. Defending the move with hard language, Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi told the House, “We are not against love. But if someone becomes ‘Salim Suresh’ to trap a daughter with a fake identity, the state will not allow such deceit to succeed.”
He asserted that genuine couples with parental approval would face no hurdles, but those hiding identities would be subjected to strict scrutiny.
Linking safety with process reform, Sanghvi said notary validation must now occur in the presence of all concerned parties, warning of “strict action” if documentation is executed in absentia.
The proposed system also mandates full disclosure of witnesses’ identities, photographs and Aadhaar copies, while court-based government registration would become compulsory to prevent manipulation through informal channels.
Crucially, the government plans a dedicated online portal where every application becomes digitally trackable; the moment a registration request is filed, parents would receive real-time details shared by their Children. The administration insists the amendments are not moral policing but a calibrated legal shield one that seeks to balance personal choice with protection against fraud, coercion and identity deception in marriage registrations across the state.