Rules for registration of marriages via videoconferencing amended benefiting people across Kerala

M.B. Rajesh, the Minister for Local Self-Governments, has instructed authorities to change the laws governing the videoconferencing registration of weddings, which will assist people throughout Kerala. The directives come in response to a plea that was presented in a district-level adalat held by the Local Self-Government department on Friday on behalf of Upputhara grama panchayat president James K. Jacob by Registrar V.K. Sreekumar. Permission to register weddings in grama panchayats using videoconferencing without physically appearing before the Registrar is requested in the case. 

According to Mr. Jacob, only NRI couples may now use the videoconferencing feature for marriage registration. Requests for videoconferencing facilities to register marriages for individuals employed in other States and districts have been received in large numbers. Individuals all around the State will benefit from the new order.

After giving careful consideration to the appeal, Mr. Rajesh instructed the staff to change the regulations so that persons can appear before the Registrar at the panchayat level via videoconferencing. In grama panchayats, individuals getting married can appear before the Registrar by submitting a combined application; regulations will be modified accordingly. 

The facility will remain open till grama panchayats are equipped with Kerala Solutions for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation (K-SMART). According to an official, grama panchayats would have easy access to videoconferencing facilities, which are now accessible in metropolitan areas, after the K-SMART software is installed.