Court rules Aadhaar card and transfer certificates insufficient as proof of age for marriage registration, mandates strict hierarchy and verification procedures to ensure statutory age compliance.
In a landmark judgment delivered on October 9, 2026, the Allahabad High Court in the case of Deepak Pal v. State of U.P. emphasized the critical importance of verifying the age of parties before registering marriages in Uttar Pradesh. The judgment elucidates that the primary purpose of compulsory marriage registration under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, is not merely record-keeping but preventing child marriages and upholding statutory age limits.
The Court clarified that Aadhaar cards, while useful for identity verification, do not constitute valid proof of date of birth and that mere reliance on school transfer certificates for age verification is legally unsustainable. Citing prior Supreme Court rulings and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Court mandated adherence to a strict hierarchy of age-verification documents, prioritizing certificates such as school birth certificates or matriculation certificates, followed by birth certificates issued by municipal authorities, and only in their absence, medical age determination tests.
The Court criticized the current registration process under the Uttar Pradesh Marriage Registration Rules, 2017, for deficiencies including lack of a clear hierarchy among age documents, absence of a procedure to resolve conflicting age records, and inadequate scrutiny of the authenticity of documents. It directed the state government to strengthen the mechanism by prescribing a clear order of preference for age documents, establishing mandatory protocols to address discrepancies, and ensuring that no marriage is registered if either party has not attained the statutory age at the time of application.
Additionally, the Court ordered that the online marriage registration system must not issue certificates based on Aadhaar authentication alone and must incorporate mandatory age verification steps that flag discrepancies. The State was further instructed to undertake sensitization programs for marriage registration officers, conduct periodic audits, and involve district legal authorities to monitor compliance effectively.
This ruling sends a strong message to all registration authorities across Uttar Pradesh, reinforcing their duty to safeguard the legal age limits for marriage and prevent child marriages by conducting thorough and legally compliant age verification before granting marriage registration certificates.
Bottom Line:
Marriage registration - Verification of age of parties - Aadhaar card is not proof of date of birth and mere transfer certificate is not valid proof of age for marriage registration - Marriage Registration Officer must verify age in accordance with legally recognised documents and cannot register marriage where statutory age is doubtful or unverified.
Statutory provision(s):
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 Section 5(iii), Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 Section 2(a), Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 94
Deepak Pal v. State of U.P., (Allahabad) : Law Finder Doc Id # 3002835
