10th September 2025 (16 Topics)
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Rajasthan Anti-Conversion Bill 2025
Context:
The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, introducing stringent penalties including life imprisonment and fines up to ?1 crore for forcible or fraudulent conversions.
Key Provisions of the Bill
- Offences are cognisable, non-bailable, and triable by the Sessions Court.
- Marriages undertaken solely for conversion are declared void; conversions before or after such marriages are unlawful.
- Exemption is provided for individuals returning to their “ancestral religion.”
Historical and Judicial Background
- A similar Bill was attempted in 2006 under CM Vasundhara Raje but was returned by President Pratibha Patil.
- Rajasthan High Court in 2017 issued guidelines: only adults can convert, with prior intimation to the District Magistrate and public notice.
- Earlier attempts in 2008 were stalled at the Centre amid opposition from minority groups and civil society.
Comparative Federal Context
- Rajasthan now joins States like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh in enacting such laws.
- These legislations generally aim at curbing conversions through force, fraud, allurement, or marriage.
- They derive constitutional support from Article 25(1) (freedom of conscience and right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion) but are subject to restrictions on grounds of public order, morality, and health.
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