Marriage Customs — Key Changes

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955	1955	This act codified and reformed the law relating to marriage among Hindus, introducing monogamy, divorce provisions, and equal rights for women in marriage. It recognized traditional ceremonies while bringing them under a statutory framework.	Revolutionized Hindu marriage by making it monogamous, allowing divorce, and setting minimum age limits, thereby challenging traditional patriarchal norms and providing legal recourse for marital disputes.
Special Marriage Act, 1954	1954	This act provided a secular option for marriage, allowing individuals of different faiths or those who do not wish to marry under religious personal laws to solemnize their union through a civil ceremony.	Facilitated interfaith and inter-caste marriages, promoting individual autonomy and secularism in marital choices, often acting as a legal safeguard against familial or community opposition.
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006	2006	Replaced the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, making child marriage illegal and punishable. It raised the minimum age for marriage to 18 for females and 21 for males across all communities.	Strengthened legal provisions against child marriage, aiming to protect minors from exploitation and ensure their right to education and health, though enforcement remains a challenge in some areas.
Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019	2019	Enacted following the Supreme Court's Shayara Bano judgment, this act criminalized the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat), making it a cognizable and non-bailable offense.	Provided legal protection to Muslim women against arbitrary divorce, significantly reforming a contentious aspect of Muslim personal law and enhancing gender justice within the community.