If you are an inter-religion couple or marrying a foreign national in Rajasthan, your marriage will fall under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. The most distinctive feature of this act is the mandatory 30-day public notice period. But what exactly happens during this month-long wait?
1. Filing the Notice
The process begins when the couple submits a "Notice of Intended Marriage" to the Marriage Officer (usually the SDM) of the district where at least one of the partners has resided for the past 30 days. This notice contains the names, ages, occupations, and addresses of both parties.
2. Public Display
Upon receiving the notice, the Marriage Officer is legally required to publish it. A copy is affixed to a conspicuous place in the office (usually a public notice board). If one of the partners resides in a different district, a copy of the notice is also forwarded to the Marriage Officer of that district for display.
3. The Right to Object
The core purpose of this 30-day window is to invite objections. Any person can raise an objection, but it must be on strict legal grounds specified in the Act, such as:
- One of the parties is underage (Groom under 21, Bride under 18).
- One of the parties has a living spouse (i.e., bigamy).
- The parties are related within the prohibited degrees of relationship.
Objections based purely on caste, religion, or familial disapproval are not legally valid and will be rejected by the Marriage Officer.
4. Post-30 Days: Solemnization
If the 30-day period expires without any valid legal objection, the couple can proceed. They must appear before the Marriage Officer along with three witnesses to sign the official declaration, after which the Certificate of Marriage is immediately issued.