Overview
- The Court directed 17 states and seven Union Territories that lack rules under Section 6 of the Anand Marriage Act to frame and notify them within four months.
- Until new rules take effect, registering authorities must accept applications for Sikh marriages under existing frameworks and, on request, note that the ceremony was Anand Karaj.
- No application may be refused solely for want of Section 6 rules, and any denial must be reasoned in writing and remains open to legal challenge.
- The Union government must circulate model rules within two months and file a consolidated compliance report in six months, while each state and UT must appoint a Secretary-level nodal officer within two months.
- Goa must process Anand Karaj registrations under its civil registration offices pending extension of the Act, and the Centre must consider extension to Sikkim with interim acceptance under its existing rules.