The Supreme Court has issued a landmark directive ordering all states and union territories to frame and notify rules for the registration of Sikh marriages solemnised through Anand Karaj within the next four months. The court said that despite the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, being amended in 2012 to formally recognise Sikh marriages, the absence of a proper framework for their registration has rendered the law ineffective. The bench observed that when the law recognises Anand Karaj as a valid form of marriage yet leaves no machinery to register it, the promise is only half kept.
The ruling came on a plea seeking uniform implementation of Section 6 of the amended Act. The court underlined that registration of marriages is not a mere formality but an essential civil necessity, noting that the availability of registration bears directly on equal treatment and on orderly civil administration. The bench further said that a marriage certificate provides crucial proof of status for residence, maintenance, inheritance, insurance, succession and the enforcement of monogamy. It particularly safeguards the interests of women and children who depend on legal documentation to claim their rights and protections.
The order specifically directed Goa, Daman and Diu to notify rules within four months, while Sikkim has been asked to begin accepting and processing Anand Karaj marriage registrations without discrimination. The Centre has also been instructed to submit a proposal for extending the Act to Sikkim within the same timeframe. The directive seeks to close the long-standing gap between legislative recognition and administrative enforcement. Although the 2012 amendment was celebrated by the Sikh community as a long overdue recognition of their distinct matrimonial practice, the absence of rules in many states forced couples to continue registering their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. This not only undermined the independent status of the Anand Marriage Act but also denied the Sikh community the distinct recognition granted to them by law.
Members of the Sikh community have welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention, calling it a significant step towards securing the dignity of their matrimonial traditions. Legal experts said the order would reduce confusion in courts, especially in cases involving divorce, custody, inheritance or property disputes, where the lack of a recognised certificate often placed Sikh women at a disadvantage. Community leaders stressed that formal registration will prevent exploitation and ensure equal treatment. For decades, they pointed out, couples were compelled to register under the Hindu Marriage Act, which diluted the uniqueness of Anand Karaj as a religious practice.
The judgment is expected to have far-reaching implications not only for Sikh families but also for the broader framework of civil rights. "By mandating states and the Centre to act swiftly, the court has reinforced the principle that religious identity should not become a barrier to accessing legal safeguards. If implemented within the stipulated timeframe, the order will mark the first time that Anand Karaj marriages are uniformly registered across India, fulfilling a demand pending for over a century since the enactment of the Anand Marriage Act in 1909", said religious experts.