Assam Moves To Ban Polygamy: What The Proposed Law Entails, Who It Affects, And Who Is Exempt

Last Updated:November 10, 2025, 11:38 IST

The Himanta Biswa Sarma government has cleared a Bill to outlaw polygamy in Assam, but not everyone will come under its purview

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (PTI Photo)

The Assam government on Sunday approved the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, a legislative proposal that seeks to outlaw the practice of polygamy in the state. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati.

According to Sarma, the proposed law aims to make polygamy a punishable offence, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment. The Chief Minister said the Bill will also include a provision for compensation to women who are victims of polygamous marriages.

What The Bill Seeks To Do

The Polygamy Bill intends to prohibit any individual from entering into a new marriage if they already have a living spouse, are not legally separated, or if their earlier marriage has not been dissolved by a decree of divorce.

The Bill classifies polygamy as a cognisable offence, which means that those accused will not be eligible for immediate bail. The state government has said that the legislation has been framed “to save society from the scourge of such practices" and to promote lawful and equitable marital relationships.

Sarma said, “Anybody, after the passing [in the Assembly] of this Bill, marrying for the second or third time will face imprisonment for seven years. And in this Bill, this offence has been made a cognizable offence, meaning they will not be given bail immediately."

He explained that the government will also establish a special compensation fund for women affected by polygamous marriages. “After the man is imprisoned, what will happen to the woman? Or, if she is a man’s second wife without her knowledge, the woman is the victim. Sometimes, the first wife is sent away from the house after a man marries a second woman. So, to ensure that no woman becomes a victim, we will keep a compensation fund," the chief minister said.

The quantum and criteria for the compensation will be determined when the rules for the Bill are framed.

Who Is Exempted And Why

The chief minister clarified that the Bill will not apply to members of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population and will also not be implemented immediately in the six Scheduled Areas of Assam. “It will apply to everybody except tribals," Sarma stated.

He said the exemptions also extend to minority Muslim residents in the Scheduled Areas before 2005. “Tribal people will be excluded because they have some customs. And in Sixth Schedule districts, which are those in the BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council), Dima Hasao, and Karbi Anglong, these Bills will not be implemented immediately… So in the Sixth Schedule areas, if a minority Muslim has been there prior to 2005, he will also be exempted," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister added that certain customary and community-based practices among tribal groups would continue to be respected under the exemptions outlined in the Bill.

How The Bill Fits Into Assam’s Social Reform Push

The move has been framed as a social reform initiative aimed at promoting gender justice and social harmony.

Back in 2023, the Assam government had unveiled its intention to introduce a law against polygamy and appointed a committee headed by retired Gauhati High Court judge Justice Rumi Phukan to assess whether the state legislature possessed the legal authority to enact such a measure. The plan was subsequently paused after Uttarakhand implemented its Uniform Civil Code in 2024, with Sarma indicating that Assam would seek to bring its own legislation in line with that model.

Sarma also referred to demographic data from the 2001 and 2011 Census, observing that while the growth rate of the Hindu population has declined, the Muslim population has increased across several blocks in Assam.

He also said that welfare schemes from Assam had inspired initiatives in other states, citing Madhya Pradesh’s Ladli Behna programme as examples drawn from Assam’s own models.

Other Key Decisions From The Cabinet Meeting

During the same Cabinet meeting, Sarma also discussed other administrative measures. He mentioned the government’s ongoing scrutiny of arms licence applications, which are expected to see the first batch of approvals by February, and initiatives to regulate land sale permissions across districts.

The Cabinet meeting also cleared a range of additional proposals, including approval for the first phase of a state-of-the-art Judicial Township at Rangmahal in Guwahati, with an estimated financial outlay of Rs 478.78 crore. The project will include a High Court Complex, Bar Building, and Office Building connected by bridges.

In the same session, the Assam government approved the Assam Startup and Innovation Policy 2025–30, aimed at establishing the state as a major startup hub over the next five years. With a total financial implication of Rs 397 crore, the policy introduces multiple funding mechanisms, such as ideation grants, prototype support, and venture capital funding of up to Rs 10 crore per startup.

The Cabinet also sanctioned the Career Advancement Scheme for assistant professors and librarians in government and autonomous colleges, and approved the establishment of SU-KA-PHA University in undivided Sivasagar, preferably in Charaideo district, to strengthen higher education.

When Will It Take Effect

The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, will be introduced in the state Assembly during its upcoming session starting on November 25. Once passed, the law will come into effect following the framing of its rules and the establishment of administrative mechanisms, including the compensation fund for affected women.

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...Read More

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...

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