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The Assam government has transferred the authority to register Muslim marriages from qazis to government-appointed registrars, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.
The state had passed a law in 2024 abolishing qazis’ authority to register Muslim marriages, but had not specified who would assume the responsibility. Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Sarma announced that Muslim couples will now have to approach government registrars to register their marriages.
Sarma said the new system would ensure that Muslim marriages are properly recorded in official government documents.
At a press conference, the chief minister said the cabinet had approved the Assam Muslim Marriage Registration (Compulsory) Rules, 2026, establishing a uniform process for marriage registration across the state.
“From now on, Muslim marriages will also be registered by government registrars,” he said.
Under the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorces Registration Act of 1935, registration of Muslim marriages was not mandatory. The law was amended in 2010 to make marriage registration compulsory, although qazis continued to hold the authority to conduct the registration.
That authority was subsequently abolished under the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Compulsory Registration Act, 2024. However, the state had not specified who would take over the registration process.
With the latest approval, government registrars will now be responsible for registering Muslim marriages in Assam. Source: Indian media.
