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Articles: Politics | Special Marriage Act,, 1954
- Mr. Vachaspathi V
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The Special Marriage Act was enacted to provide a special form of marriage by any person in India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries irrespective of the religion either party to the marriage may profess.
For the benefit of Indian citizens abroad, it provides for the appointment of Diplomatic and Consular Officers as marriage officers for solemnizing and registering marriages between citizens of India in a foreign country.
The Act extends to the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir and also applies to citizens of India domiciled in he territories to which this Act extends who are in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR A MARRIAGE
The following conditions are necessary :
That neither party has a spouse living at the time of marriage.
That neither party is incapable of giving a valid consent to the marriage due to unsoundness of mind.
That neither party has been suffering from mental disorder of such a kind or to such an extent as to be unfit for marriage and the procreation of children.
That neither party has been subject to recurrent attacks of epilepsy or insanity.
That the bridegroom has completed the age of 21 years and the bride the age of 18 years at the time of marriage.
That the parties are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship. However where a custom governing at least one of the parties permits a marriage between them, such marriage may be solemnized nonwithstanding that they are within the degrees of prohibited relationship as follows :
**degrees of prohibited relationship-
A man and any of the person mentioned in part I of the first schedule and a woman and any of the person mentioned in Part II of the said schedule are with in the degrees of prohibited relationship.
Relationship includes-
a. relationship by half or uterine blood as well as by fool blood;
b. illegitimate blood relationship as well as legitimate;
c. relationship by adoption as well as by blood;
and all terms of relationship in this Act shell be construed accordingly.
'Full blood' and 'half blood'- Two person are said to be related to each other by full blood when they are descended from the common ancestor but by different wives.
'Uterine blood'- Two persons are said to be related to each other by uterine blood when they are descended from a common ancestress but by different husbands.
'Ancester' includes the father and 'ancestress' the mother;
THE FIRST SCHEDULE
[see section 2 (b) 'Degree of prohibited relationship']
PART I
1. Mother
2. Father's widow (step-mother).
3. Mother's mother
4. Mother's father's widow (step grand-mother).
5. Mother's mother's mother.
6. Mother's mother's father's widow.
7. Mother's father's mother.
8. Mother's father's father's widow (step great grand-mother.)
9. Father's mother.
10. Father's father's widow (step grand-mother).
11. Father's mother's mother.
12. Father's mother's father's widow (step great grand-mother).
13. Father's father's mother.
14. Father's father's father's widow (step great grand-mother).
15. Daughter.
16. Son's widow.
17. Daughter's daughter.
18. Daughter's son's widow.
19. Son's daughter.
20. Son's son's widow.
21. Daughter's daughter's Daughter.
22. Daughter's daughter's son's widow.
23. Daughter's son's daughter.
24. Daughter's son's son's widow.
25. Son's daughter's daughter.
26. Son's daughter's son's widow.
27. Son's son's daughter.
28. Sister.
29. Sister's daughter.
30. Brother's daughter.
31. Mother's sister.
32. Father's sister
33. Father's sister.
34. Father's brother's daughter.
35. Father's sister's daughter.
36. Mother's sister's daughter.
37. Mother's brother's daughter.
For the purpose of this part, widow includes a divorced wife.
PART II
1. Father.
2. Mother's husband(step father).
3. Father's father.
4. Father's mother's husband(step grand-father).
5. Father's father's father.
6. Father's father's mother's husband(step great grand-father).
7. Father's mother's father.
8. Father's mother's mother's husband (step great grand-father).
9. Mother's father.
10. Mother's mother's husband (step grand-father).
11. Mother's father's father.
12. Mother's father's mother's husband.
13. Mother's mother's father.
14. Mother's mother's mother's husband.
15. Son.
16. Daughter's husband.
17. Son's son.
18. Son's daughter's husband.
19. Daughter's son.
20. Daughter's daughter's husband.
21. Son's son's son.
22. Son's son's daughter's husband.
23. Son's daughter's son.
24. Son's daughter's daughter's husband.
25. Daughter's son's son.
26. Daughter's son's daughter's husband.
27. Daughter's daughter's son.
28. Daughter's daughter's daughter's husband.
29. Brother.
30. Brother's son.
31. Sister's son.
32. Mother's brother.
33. Father's brother.
34. Father's brother's son.
35. Father's sister's son.
36. Mother's sister's son.
37. Mother's brother's son.
7. That where the marriage is solemnized in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, both the parties are citizens of India domiciled in the territories to which this Act extends.
NOTICE OF INTENDED MARRIAGE
A notice has to be given in writing in the form given below to the Marriage Officer of the District in which at least one of the parties to the marriage has resided for a period of not less than 30 days immediately proceeding the date on which such notice was given.
NOTICE
To,
Marriage Officer,
_______District________
We hereby give you notice that a marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, is intended to be solemnized between us within three calender months hereof.
Name:
Condition:
Occupation:
Age:
Dwelling:
Place of residence if present dwelling place not permanent.
AB
Unmarried/Widower/Divorced
Witness our hands this _____ day of ___ 200_
Signed AB Signed CD
We hereby give you
PUBLICATION
The notice given is then published by affixing it in some conspicuous place in the office of the Marriage Officer, and before the expiration of thirty days from the date on which the notice was published any person can object to the marriage that it would contravene any of the conditions necessary for the marriage.
After the expiry of thirty days from the date on which the notice was published the marriage may be solemnized.
DECLARATION BY PARTIES AND WITNESSES
Before the marriage is solemnized the parties and three witnesses shall sign a declaration in the form give below, and the declaration shall be counter signed by the Marriage Officer.
DECLARATION MADE BY THE BRIDEGROOM
I, _________hereby declare as follows;
I am at the present unmarried (or a widower or a divorcee, as the case may be)
I have completed _______ years of age.
I am not related to ________(the bride) within the degrees of prohibited relationship.
I am aware that, if any statement in this declaration is false, and if in making such statement I either know or believe it to be false or do not believe it to true, I am liable to imprisonment and also to fine.
SIGNED__________
(BRIDEGROOM)
DECLARATION MADE BY THE BRIDE
I, _________hereby declare as follows;
5. I am at the present unmarried (or a widower or a divorcee, as the case may be)
6. I have completed_______years of age.
7. I am not related to ________(the bridegroom) within the degrees of prohibited relationship.
8. I am aware that, if any statement in this declaration is false, and if in making such statement I either know or believe it to be false or do not believe it to true, I am liable to imprisonment and also to fine.
SIGNED__________
(BRIDE)
Signed in our presence by the abovenamd ________ and __________ . So far as we are aware there is no lawful impediment to the marriage.
WITNESSES
SIGNED____
SIGNED____
SIGNED____
COUNTERSIGNED
MARRIAGE OFFICER
Dated:___day of ________200
PLACE AND FORM OF SOLEMNIZATION
The marriage maybe solemnized at the office of the Marriage Officer, or at such place within reasonable distance, as the parties may desire, upon payment of such additional fees as may be prescribed.
The marriage may be solemnized in a form, which the parties may choose to adopt.
However, No marriage is complete and binding unless each party says to the other in the presence of the Marriage Officer and the three witnesses in any language understood by the parties, I_______take thee________to be my lawful wife (or husband)
CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE
After the marriage has been solemnized the Marriage Officer shall enter a certificate in the Marriage Certificate Book and this shall be signed by the parties to the marriage and the three witnesses and this shall be conclusive evidence of the marriage.
COSEQUENCES OF MARRIAGE UNDER THIS ACT
EFFECT OF MARRIAGE ON MEMBER OF UNDIVIDED FAMILY
Where any member of an undivided family who professes the Hindu, Bddhist, Sikh or Jaina religion marries a non- Hindu under this Act, he shall be severed from such family. However if two persons who are Hindus get married under this Act no such severence takes place.
SUCCESSION TO PROPERTY OF PARTIES MARRIED UNDER THIS ACT
Nonwithstanding anything contained in the Indian Succession Act, 1925 with respect to its application to members of certain communities, succession to the property of any person whose marriage is solemnized under this Act and to the property of the issue of such marriage shall be regulated by the provisions of the Indian Succession Act. However if two persons who are Hindus get married under this Act the above provision does not apply and they are governed by the Hindu Succession Act.
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