Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Focuses on Marriage Registration Bill and Banning Polygamy
Dispur (Assam), August 28: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that the Assam government is prioritizing the marriage registration bill and plans to ban polygamy. He stated, “Assam government is not decided on the whole UCC, we are focusing on the Muslim registration bill which we made compulsory. We have said that the registration of the marriage and divorce will be done by sub-registrar rather than ‘Kazi’. Our next step is banning polygamy which will be coming in anytime we are just waiting for any judicial comment on Uttarakhand UCC we are looking closely.”
CM Sarma emphasized that the Assam government’s approach is different, focusing on issues like child marriage and the exploitation of women. He mentioned that the government has four to five agendas, including regulating inter-religion marriages, to be addressed by next April.
Additionally, Sarma informed that the Centre has directed UIDAI to issue Aadhaar cards to over 935,000 people in Assam who provided their biometrics between February 2019 and August 2024. He thanked the Centre for this directive, which will make the lives of these people easier. The state government has been working for the past two years to ensure the release of these Aadhaar cards.
Doubts Revealed
Assam -: Assam is a state in the northeastern part of India. It is known for its rich culture, tea gardens, and the Brahmaputra River.
CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state, similar to a principal in a school but for the whole state.
Himanta Biswa Sarma -: Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current Chief Minister of Assam. He is a political leader responsible for making important decisions for the state.
Marriage Registration Bill -: A Marriage Registration Bill is a proposed law that would require all marriages to be officially recorded by the government. This helps in keeping track of marriages and ensures legal rights for couples.
Polygamy -: Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. The Assam government plans to ban this practice to ensure fairness and equality in marriages.
Inter-religion marriages -: Inter-religion marriages are marriages between people of different religions. The government wants to make rules to ensure these marriages are fair and respectful to all religions involved.
Child marriage -: Child marriage is when children, usually under 18, are married off. This practice is harmful and the government is working to stop it to protect children’s rights and futures.
Women’s exploitation -: Women’s exploitation refers to unfair treatment or abuse of women. The government is taking steps to stop this and ensure women are treated fairly and with respect.
Centre -: In this context, ‘Centre’ refers to the central government of India, which makes decisions for the entire country.
UIDAI -: UIDAI stands for Unique Identification Authority of India. It is the government agency responsible for issuing Aadhaar cards, which are unique identification numbers for Indian residents.
Aadhaar cards -: Aadhaar cards are unique identification cards given to Indian residents. They have a 12-digit number and are used for various services like opening bank accounts and getting government benefits.
Biometrics -: Biometrics are unique physical characteristics like fingerprints or eye scans used to identify people. In this case, they are used to create Aadhaar cards.