The Special Marriage Act 1954 governs
AInter-religious / civil marriages registered before a Marriage Officer; available to any two persons regardless of religion provided the prescribed conditions (monogamy, age, capacity, non-prohibited relationship) are met
BPolygamous customary marriages
CMarriages under Muslim personal law only
DMarriages between two Hindus only
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Inter-religious / civil marriages registered before a Marriage Officer; available to any two persons regardless of religion provided the prescribed conditions (monogamy, age, capacity, non-prohibited relationship) are met
SMA 1954 is the secular alternative to personal-law marriages. The Section 5 notice / objections period was challenged in Safiya Sultana v State of UP (2021, Allahabad HC) for invading privacy; the Court read down the notice as optional. SMA marriages also confer succession under ISA 1925 (s21).
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