The Mukhyamantri Nikah Yojana is a welfare scheme initiated in 2012 by the Social Justice and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance for the marriage of needy girls, widows, and abandoned women from destitute or poor Muslim families. The scheme specifically supports mass marriage (Nikah) ceremonies, ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive crucial financial support during their marriage.
Benefits
- Financial Assistance for Beneficiaries:
- ₹49,000 provided directly to each eligible bride at the time of the mass marriage ceremony.
- Support for Organizing Bodies:
- ₹6,000 is allocated per beneficiary to the organizing body, ensuring smooth execution of the mass marriage event.
- Total Benefit:
- ₹55,000 per beneficiary, aiding in reducing the financial burden on poor Muslim families during marriage.
Eligibility
To qualify for the scheme, the following conditions must be met:
- Native Requirement:
- The parents of both the bride and groom must be natives of Madhya Pradesh.
- Target Group:
- The scheme is designed for needy girls, widows, and abandoned women from destitute or poor Muslim families.
- Family Background:
- Both the bride and groom should belong to Muslim families.
- Age Criteria:
- The bride must be at least 18 years old and the groom at least 21 years old.
- Marriage Format:
- Benefits are only available when the marriage is conducted as a mass marriage (Nikah) ceremony on prescribed dates.
- Marital Status:
- The bride must not have been married previously; mass marriage must be her first marriage.
- Additional Note:
- For abandoned women, only those legally divorced are eligible.
- Minimum Couples Requirement:
- A mass marriage ceremony will be organized only if applications are received from at least 5 couples.
Application Process
Offline Application
- Joint Application:
- The bride and groom participating in the mass marriage must jointly apply using the prescribed application form.
- Collect Application Form:
- The form is available free of cost from the concerned body, such as the Municipal Corporation, Municipality, City Council, or District Panchayat. (Refer to Appendix 1 for the application format.)
- Submission Timeline:
- Applications must be submitted 15 days before the scheduled date of the mass marriage ceremony.
- Scrutiny and Selection:
- A scrutiny committee reviews the applications, and eligibility details are entered into the marriage portal.
- The local authority must complete the process 7 days before the ceremony.
- Acceptance orders for eligible couples and rejection orders for ineligible ones are generated by the portal.
- Notification:
- Eligible applicants are informed to attend the mass marriage ceremony, while ineligible applicants receive a notification with reasons.
Authorized Organizers
- Urban Areas:
- Organized by the Urban body (Municipal Corporation, Municipality, or Municipal Council).
- Rural Areas:
- Organized by the District Panchayat.
Note: Mass marriages conducted by other institutions are not eligible for benefits under this scheme.
- Organized by the District Panchayat.
Determination of Dates
- The dates and number of mass marriages are determined by the district’s minister in-charge.
- These dates are widely publicized and entered on the marriage portal by the District’s Joint/Deputy Director, Social Justice and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department.
Documents Required
- Certificate proving native status of the bride’s or groom’s guardian in Madhya Pradesh.
- Samagra ID (if the composite ID is unavailable, it will be provided by the concerned authority; not mandatory if the groom is from outside Madhya Pradesh).
- Photocopies of Aadhaar Cards for both the bride and groom.
- Age Certificates for both, which may include one of the following:
- School Certificate (Transfer Certificate)
- Marksheet with Date of Birth
- Birth Certificate issued by a competent authority
- Voter ID or Electoral Roll showing age or Date of Birth
- Age Certificate from a government medical expert
- Job Card from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
- Other legally acceptable documents
- Two Passport-sized Photographs of both the bride and groom.
- Mobile Numbers of both the bride and groom (if available).
- Mobile Number of Parents of the bride or groom (if available).
- For Widows:
- The death certificate of the husband.
- For Abandoned Women:
- The court order for legal divorce.
- Labor Registration Card Photocopy (if the beneficiary is a registered laborer under the Madhya Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board), as applicable for financial support on the marriage of a maximum of 2 daughters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the primary objective of the Mukhyamantri Nikah Yojana?
A1: The scheme aims to provide financial assistance for the marriage of needy girls, widows, and abandoned women from poor Muslim families in Madhya Pradesh through mass marriage ceremonies.
Q2: What financial assistance is provided under this scheme?
A2: Each eligible bride receives ₹49,000 through an Account Payee Cheque, and the organizing body receives ₹6,000 per beneficiary, totaling ₹55,000 per beneficiary.
Q3: Who can apply for benefits under this scheme?
A3: The scheme is for needy girls, widows, and abandoned women from destitute or poor Muslim families whose parents are natives of Madhya Pradesh, provided they have not been previously married and participate in a mass marriage ceremony.
Q4: Are there any age requirements for the bride and groom?
A4: Yes, the bride must be at least 18 years old and the groom must be at least 21 years old.
Q5: Are there income restrictions for receiving the assistance?
A5: No, there are no income restrictions under this scheme.
Q6: Can the groom be from outside Madhya Pradesh?
A6: Yes, if the groom is from outside the state, the bride remains eligible; however, if the parents of either the bride or groom are not natives of Madhya Pradesh, benefits will not be available.
Q7: Can the bride have been previously married?
A7: No, the bride must be unmarried and the marriage should take place solely during the mass marriage ceremony organized under this scheme.
Q8: Is the scheme applicable to single marriage ceremonies?
A8: No, the benefits are only available for mass marriage (Nikah) ceremonies, which are organized when at least 5 couples apply.
Q9: How can one apply for the scheme?
A9: Interested couples must jointly apply using the prescribed application form, available at the concerned municipal or district office, at least 15 days before the mass marriage ceremony.
Q10: Which institutions are authorized to organize mass marriage ceremonies under this scheme?
A10: In urban areas, the authorized bodies are Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, or Municipal Councils; in rural areas, the District Panchayat is responsible for organizing the ceremonies.
Q11: How are the dates for mass marriage ceremonies determined?
A11: The dates are determined by the district’s minister in-charge and published widely; they are also entered on the marriage portal by the District’s Joint/Deputy Director, Social Justice and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department.