Anand Marriage Act to come into force in Sikkim from June 1

The Anand Marriage Act will come into force in Sikkim from June 1, enabling Sikh couples to officially register marriages conducted through Anand Karaj ceremonies. The move follows Supreme Court intervention and new state rules framed to implement the century-old legislation

New Delhi: The Anand Marriage Act, which enables Sikh couples to register their traditional marriages under their own specific legal framework, will come into force in Sikkim from June 1 after the Supreme Court prod.

This will allow members of the Sikh community in Sikkim to register their marriages solemnised under the traditional ‘Anand Karaj’ ceremony directly. A September 2025 Supreme Court judgment fast tracked the 1909 law’s implementation in the state. For registration purpose, several Sikh couples register their marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.

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According to a Union law ministry notification issued on May 14, “the central government hereby appoints the 1st day of June, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 shall come into the force in the State of Sikkim”. The law ministry notified the appointed date after Sikkim framed and notified the official Sikkim Anand Marriage Registration Rules, 2026 to outline localised registration mechanisms.

The rules were notified after a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the September 2025 Amanjot Singh Chadha Vs Union of India case, which plugged administrative loopholes in the law. A 2012 amendment in the law had introduced state level mechanisms to register marriages under the Anand Marriage Act of 1909.

Several states, including Sikkim, had not framed rules. The top court had asked these states to come out with rules. Absence of rules in these states meant either not to register their marriage or do so under the broader Hindu Marriage Act.