In a concerted attempt to checkmate the Non-Resident Indians and overseas Indians deserting their wives after marriage, the Centre has decided to enforce compulsory registration of their marriages and help women fight their cases in India and abroad.
The Law Ministry will be sending a proforma to the state governments for uniform and compulsory registration of all marriages solemnised in India. The proforma will contain all relevant information necessary to identify the persons.
The proforma will have columns, in the case of overseas Indians, for the social security number, passport particulars, ID card / labour card etc., to build a proper identification and tracking system.
This was one of the several measures decided by an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi in New Delhi and attended by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury and representatives of several other ministries and organisations.
The meeting also empowered the National Commission for Women to coordinate at the national level to receive and process complaints of the hapless women deserted by their NRI husbands after marriage.
Treaties:
The Ministry officials said the problem of desertion is most acute in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. The meeting asked the External Affairs Ministry to explore bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties for protecting the Indian women, especially with USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand where the problem desertion by NRIs is acute.
It felt such treaties should cover provisions on serving of notices,