The Gujarat government is set to introduce major changes to marriage registration rules, directly affecting couples opting for love marriages or elopements. Under the proposed rules, registrations for such marriages will now require approval from a Class-2 officer, whereas earlier they could be completed by a Class-3 officer (Talati).
The new regulations also mandate that the administration will send a notice to the couple’s families, who must respond within 30 days. If any objection is raised by the family, the Class-2 officer will verify the case, and the marriage registration process will be put on hold during this 30-day period.
According to sources, the cabinet meeting scheduled for today may approve the proposal, after which an official announcement is expected. The move is being seen as a significant shift in how love marriages are registered in the state.
The new regulations came after certain sections of the Patidar and Thakor Kshatriya communities demanded that parental consent be made mandatory in love marriages.
Earlier, in 2023, Gujarat legislators from both the BJP and Congress have called for stricter regulation of love marriages, a report by The Hindu reported. During the budget session on March 17, BJP MLA Fatesinh Chauhan and Congress MLA Geniben Thakor demanded that parental consent be made mandatory for adult children marrying of their own choice. They also proposed that such marriages be registered only in the taluka where the man or woman resides.
The lawmakers had argued that elopements and love marriages without family approval contribute to social unrest and crime, citing examples of girls eloping and later facing threats or social complications.
Previous instances of inter-caste or elopement marriages raising property disputes and alleged cases of “love jihad” have fueled demands for tighter oversight.
