Ceremonies and Registration — MCQs

All questions with answers and explanations

Read the full set here, or use the practice card above to test yourself one question at a time.

1. Under Section 7(1), a Hindu marriage may be solemnised according to:

   • A single uniform national ritual
   • The customary rites and ceremonies of either party (correct answer)
   • Only Vedic mantras
   • Registration procedure alone

   Explanation. Section 7(1) defers to the customary rites and ceremonies of either party, not a single fixed ritual.

2. Under Section 7(2), a marriage involving Saptapadi becomes complete and binding at:

   • The first step
   • The fourth step
   • The seventh step (correct answer)
   • The moment the priest declares it complete

   Explanation. Section 7(2) specifically deems the marriage complete and binding at the seventh step.

3. In Bhaurao Shankar Lokhande v. State of Maharashtra, the Supreme Court held that a bigamy conviction requires:

   • Proof of registration only
   • Proof that essential ceremonies of the second marriage were performed (correct answer)
   • A confession from the accused
   • Proof of financial support to the second wife

   Explanation. The Court held that essential ceremonies of the second marriage must be strictly proved for a bigamy conviction.

4. Who must prove the essential ceremonies of a Hindu marriage?

   • The registrar
   • The person who relies on the marriage (correct answer)
   • The priest
   • No one, because the law presumes the ceremonies

   Explanation. The person who relies on the marriage must prove the essential ceremonies. A few skipped formalities do not prove a custom to the contrary, and a custom must be proved by evidence under section 3(a).

5. Is Saptapadi compulsory for every Hindu marriage?

   • Yes, always
   • No, only where it is part of the couple's own custom (correct answer)
   • Yes, but only for Brahmins
   • No, it was abolished by the 1955 Act

   Explanation. Saptapadi's special rule applies only where it is part of the parties' own customary rites.

6. Under section 8(2), a person who breaks a State rule making registration compulsory is punishable with:

   • Imprisonment for one year
   • A fine up to Rs 25 (correct answer)
   • Voidness of the marriage
   • Re-solemnisation of the marriage

   Explanation. Section 8(2) lets the State make the entry compulsory. A person who breaks the rule is punishable with a fine up to Rs 25, and the validity of the marriage is not affected.

7. If the essential ceremonies of a second marriage are never proved to have taken place, the second union is:

   • A valid marriage regardless
   • Not a valid marriage at all, so no bigamy charge can succeed (correct answer)
   • Automatically registered
   • Voidable only, not void

   Explanation. Without proof of essential ceremonies, there is no valid second marriage, so a bigamy charge fails.

8. What does Section 7 primarily defer to when deciding which ceremonies are required?

   • A fixed national checklist
   • The customary rites of the specific parties (correct answer)
   • The State Government's rules
   • The choice of the officiating priest alone

   Explanation. Section 7 defers to the customary rites of the specific parties getting married.

9. What is the primary purpose of registration under Section 8(1)?

   • To create the marriage
   • To facilitate proof of the marriage (correct answer)
   • To replace the ceremony requirement
   • To grant citizenship

   Explanation. Section 8(1) exists to facilitate proof of a marriage, not to create it.

10. Under Section 8(5), failure to register a Hindu marriage:

    • Makes the marriage void
    • Makes the marriage voidable
    • Never affects the validity of the marriage (correct answer)
    • Requires a fresh ceremony

    Explanation. Section 8(5) expressly states that non-registration never affects a marriage's validity.

11. In Seema v. Ashwani Kumar, the Supreme Court directed:

    • That unregistered marriages be declared void
    • Compulsory registration of marriages of all religions nationwide (correct answer)
    • Abolition of the Hindu Marriage Act
    • That only civil marriages be recognised

    Explanation. The Court directed all governments to frame rules for compulsory registration of marriages of all religions.

12. A couple who want a marriage without religious rites can marry under:

    • The Hindu Succession Act, 1956
    • The Special Marriage Act, 1954 (correct answer)
    • The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
    • The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956

    Explanation. The Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows a marriage without religious rites and requires notice and registration. Under section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act, registration only helps to prove a marriage.

13. A State Government may make Section 8 registration:

    • Automatically void if skipped
    • Compulsory within its territory, with a penalty for default (correct answer)
    • Applicable only to inter-caste marriages
    • Applicable only to court marriages

    Explanation. Section 8(2) allows a State to make registration compulsory, with a penalty prescribed for default.

14. Which of these remains valid even without registration, according to Section 8(5)?

    • A marriage properly solemnised with essential ceremonies (correct answer)
    • A marriage that never had any ceremony
    • A marriage banned by court order
    • None of the above

    Explanation. A properly solemnised marriage remains valid under Section 8(5) even without registration.

15. Seema v. Ashwani Kumar's directive on compulsory registration was based on concerns about:

    • Tax collection
    • Helping to prevent child marriages and making proof of marriage easy (correct answer)
    • Reducing the number of Hindu marriages
    • Promoting inter-religious marriages only

    Explanation. It was pointed out that compulsory registration would be a step in the right direction to prevent child marriages. The Court directed that marriages of all citizens, of all religions, be compulsorily registrable in the State where they are solemnized.

16. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between Seema v. Ashwani Kumar and Section 8(5)?

    • The judgment overruled Section 8(5)
    • The judgment left Section 8(5)'s validity rule undisturbed (correct answer)
    • The judgment repealed the Hindu Marriage Act
    • The judgment made registration a condition of validity

    Explanation. The judgment directed compulsory registration machinery going forward without disturbing Section 8(5)'s validity rule.