India's Supreme Court Says Marriage Registration Applies To All Religions

Today's Hindustan Times reports that the Supreme Court of India on Monday ordered Indian states to require the registration of all marriages, regardless of the religion of the parties. In February 2006, the Supreme Court held that every marriage must be registered in the state in which it takes place. However some states have implemented this mandate by issuing orders under the Hindu Marriage Act. This means that the registration requirement is not binding on non-Hindus. The Court also ordered five states that had not taken any steps to implement its 2006 order to now enact laws requiring registration.