📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Van der Weyde
Religion
Uttarakhand mandates only registered qazis to solemnise marriages under new nikahnama
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 07 Sep 2026, 04:38 PM
👁 24
Uttarakhand's new nikahnama rule limits marriage solemnisation to state‑registered qazis, aiming to standardise Islamic weddings.
The Uttarakhand state government has issued a new regulation concerning the nikahnama, the Islamic marriage contract. Under the rule, only qazis who are officially registered with the state can officiate nikahnama ceremonies.
The move aims to bring all marriage solemnisations under a uniform legal framework, ensuring that the officiants are vetted and their credentials verified. The registration process requires qazis to submit documentation and obtain a license from the state's marriage registration department.
Effective immediately, the regulation has drawn reactions from community leaders who say it will curb fraudulent marriages while preserving religious rites. Authorities have warned that any unregistered qazi conducting a nikahnama could face penalties under state law.
The government will monitor compliance through periodic audits of the registration database and will publicise the list of authorised qazis to aid couples in choosing legitimate officiants.
The move aims to bring all marriage solemnisations under a uniform legal framework, ensuring that the officiants are vetted and their credentials verified. The registration process requires qazis to submit documentation and obtain a license from the state's marriage registration department.
Effective immediately, the regulation has drawn reactions from community leaders who say it will curb fraudulent marriages while preserving religious rites. Authorities have warned that any unregistered qazi conducting a nikahnama could face penalties under state law.
The government will monitor compliance through periodic audits of the registration database and will publicise the list of authorised qazis to aid couples in choosing legitimate officiants.