No Registrar in Mumbai: Christian Newlyweds Head to Pune for Marriage Registration

Mumbai, 19th March 2025: Christian couples in Mumbai are facing delays in marriage registration as the designated registrar’s position remains vacant following the retirement of the previous officer in February 2025. Until a replacement is appointed, newlyweds are being forced to travel to Pune to get their marriage certificates verified.

This situation mirrors a similar issue from 2020, when the then-registrar’s retirement led to a temporary halt in Christian marriage registrations.
Nicholas Almeida and Godfrey Pimenta, activists from the Watchdog Foundation, highlighted the inconvenience.

“A Vakola resident recently informed former corporator Tulip Miranda about a notice displayed outside the marriage registration office, located in the administrative building near Mantralaya. The notice states that J. J. Valvi, Deputy Secretary of EGS, retired on February 28, and no successor has been appointed. As a result, Christian marriage registrations have been put on hold, and couples now have to travel to Pune for verification,” they said.

Former corporator Tulip Miranda criticized the lack of planning in the system. “This is not the first time we are facing such an issue. A few years ago, a similar problem occurred, causing inconvenience to many couples. My acquaintance who visited Mantralaya recently was told that there is no update on when a new registrar will be appointed. The government should ensure a replacement is in place before an officer retires to prevent disruptions like this.”

A senior official from the public health department, which oversees the appointment process, acknowledged the delay. “The previous registrar retired last month. We have since advertised the position, inviting government employees to take on this additional charge. However, as of now, we have not received any applications,” the official said.

With no clear timeline for a new appointment, couples awaiting marriage registration are left in limbo, hoping for swift government action to restore normalcy.