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AS INTRODUCED IN THE RAJYA SABHA

ON 8TH DECEMBER,2023

Bill No. XCVIII of 2022

THE MARRIAGE BUREAU (REGULATION) BILL, 2022

A

BILL
to provide for regulation of marriage bureaus for prevention of malpractices and misuse
of marriage registration facility and for matters connected therewith or incidental
thereto.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-third year of the Republic of India as
follows:—
1. (1) This Act may be called the Marriage Bureau (Regulation) Act, 2022. Short title and
Commencement.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by
5 notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— Definitions.

(a) “appropriate Government” means in the case of a State, the Government of

that State and in other cases, the Central Government;
(b) “identity proofs” means any of the following,—
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(i) valid passport;
(ii) voter Identity Document;
(iii) Aadhaar Card;
(iv) any photo identity card issued by the State Government or the Central
Government or Public Sector Undertakings or banks; 5

(c) “marriage” includes a re-marriage duly instituted as per the existing laws;
(d) “marriage bureau” means a bureau or institution consisting of a person or
group of persons, which carries on the activity of helping the unmarried persons
including divorcees, widows and widowers, desirous of getting married, registered
with the bureau, in finding a suitable match for them by arranging to bring them 10
together;
(e) ‘parties’ means the husband and wife whose marriage has been solemnized;
(f) ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(g) ‘Registrar’ means a Registrar of Marriage Bureaus and Marriages appointed
under this Act; 15

(h) ‘Registrar-General’ means the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and

Marriages appointed by the appropriate Government under the Births, Deaths and
Marriages Registration Act, 1886. 6 of 1886.

Appointment 3. (1) The appropriate Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint
of Registrar of as many persons, as it may consider necessary to be the Registrar of Marriage Bureaus 20
Marriage
Bureaus and and Marriages for such area or areas as may be specified in such notification;
Marriages.
(2) The Registrar shall exercise such powers and duties as may be prescribed and
shall work under the general superintendence and control of the Registrar-General.
Marriage 4. From the date of coming into force of this Act, every marriage bureau and every
bureaus and marriage in the country shall be registered with the Registrar of Marriage Bureaus and 25
marriages to
be registered.
Marriages.

Registration 5. (1) Any person or group of persons desirous of conducting or running a marriage
of marriage bureau shall apply for registration of such marriage bureau to the Registrar, in such manner
bureaus and
marriages.
with such fees and documents as may be prescribed.
(2) The Registrar shall, upon reviewing an application received under sub-section (1), 30
after scrutiny thereof, register such marriage bureau and grant a certificate of registration to
such bureau, in the prescribed form.
(3) The registration certificate so granted shall be displayed prominently by such
bureau in its registered office premises.
(4) Every such marriage bureau shall renew its registration after every two years from 35
the date of grant of such certificate on payment of the prescribed renewal fee.
(5) No marriage bureau shall carry on or conduct its activities as the marriage bureau,
except at its registered office as specified in the registration certificate granted under
sub-section (2).
(6) Every marriage bureau shall conduct its activities strictly as per the terms and 40
conditions of the registration granted under sub-section (2).
(7) Contravention of any of the provisions of the Act by a marriage bureau shall make
the registration of such bureau liable for cancellation:
Provided that registration of a marriage bureau shall not be cancelled without giving a
reasonable opportunity of being heard, to the concerned bureau. 45
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(8) Any marriage bureau aggrieved by the order of the Registrar refusing to register or
renew the registration of the bureau or regarding cancellation of the registration may, appeal
against such order to the Registrar-General in such manner as may be prescribed.
6. (1) It shall be mandatory for every marriage bureau to obtain a copy of a valid Duties of
5 identity proof from every desirous to be registered with the bureau and to maintain a record marriage
bureau.
of the parties in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
(2) Privacy of information shared by the parties with the marriage bureau shall be
maintained by the marriage bureau and shall only be furnished to law enforcing, investigating
or Government agencies upon a written request received therefrom.
10 (3) No marriage bureau shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise,
any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation or any
fraudulent means, or by promise of marriage, nor shall any person abet to or conspire for
such conversion.
7. For the purpose of facilitating the proof of marriages, the Registrar shall provide that Registration
15 the parties to any such marriages shall have the particulars of their marriages entered in such of particulars
of marriage.
manner and subject to such condition as may be prescribed.
8. Consultancy fee payable to the marriage bureau by the parties shall be a reasonable Consultancy
amount which shall be fixed by the Registrar-General in the manner as may be prescribed. fee.

9. Whoever contravenes or attempts to contravene or abets the contravention of the Penalty.

20 provisions of this Act, shall be punished with a fine which may extend to ten thousand
rupees for the first violation and up to twenty five thousand rupees for second and subsequent
violations.
10. The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent Overriding
therewith contained in any other law, for the time being in force, relating to marriage bureaus. effect of the
Act.

25 11. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any other Act not to be
law for the time being in force. in derogation
of any other
law.
12. (1) The Central Government or the State Government may by notificaton in the Power to
Official Gazette make rules for carrying out the purpose of this Act. make rules.

(2) Every rule made by the Central Government under this section shall be laid, as soon
30 as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament while it is in session for a total
period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive
sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the
successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or
both Houses agree that rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in
35 such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however, that any such
modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously
done under that rule.
 STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS

Marriage bureaus are popular match making services in India where parties interested
in marriage register their names with them and the bureau suggests to them suitable matches
from their database. Most marriage bureaus are community based where one can easily find
a partner as per their liking, mother tongue, country, religion, occupation and more. The
matches are suggested by the bureaus directly to the candidates or the parents of the
candidates when they visit the bureau or through correspondence, emails and phone calls.
Some marriage bureaus arrange meetings between suitable matches as well. Running a marriage
bureau may also be a good source of income as the expenses are low while the income is
high. Many marriage bureaus in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore charge between
one thousand to five thousand rupees for each registration.
In some Indian States, registration of marriage bureaus is being done as per established
laws. But in most States, services by bureaus are being misused for making false promises or
false profile of marriage. Besides some of the marriage bureaus do not keep the personal
information of the parties secured and confidential. Further, marriage bureaus do not have
stringent ‘Know Your Customer’(KYC) procedures in place and hence, readily accept
documents or facts provided by fake profiles which result in commission of fraud. Therefore,
it is imperative to provide for regulation of marriage bureaus in India in order to prevent
malpractices and misuse of marriage registration facility as well as to maintain a record of
parties with sufficient proof alongwith other details.
Thus, there is an urgent need to provide registration and regulation of marriage bureaus.
Hence, this Bill.

DR. ANIL SUKHDEORAO BONDE.

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 FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM

Clause 3 of the Bill inter-alia provides for appointment of Registrar of Marriage Bureaus
and Marriages. Therefore, if enacted, this Bill would involve expenditure from the Consolidated
Fund of India. However, it is difficult to estimate the actual financial expenditure likely to be
incurred at this stage.

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 MEMORANDUM OF DELEGATED LEGISLATION
Clause 12 of the Bill empowers the Central Government and the State Government to
make rules for carrying out the purposes of the Bill. As the rules will relate to matters of
details only, the delegation of legislative power is of normal character.

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 RAJYA SABHA

————

A
BILL

to provide for regulation of marriage bureaus for prevention of malpractices and

misuse of marriage registration facility and for matters connected therewith
or incidental thereto.

————

(Dr. Anil Sukhdeorao Bonde, M.P.)

RS-P&PS-PMB(E)—028—14.12.2023.