Rajasthan Enacts Comprehensive Law Against Unlawful Religious Conversion

The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025 (Act No. 21 of 2025), received the assent of the Governor on October 3, 2025. This Act, passed by the Rajasthan State Legislature, came into force on October 29, 2025, as appointed by a notification issued by the Home (Group-5) Department. The legislation was enacted to prohibit unlawful conversion from one religion to another through various illicit means. The Act specifically targets conversions achieved by misrepresentation, misinformation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, online solicitation, fraudulent means, or by marriage or pretext of marriage. It also addresses matters connected with or incidental to such conversions.

The Act defines "unlawful conversion" as any conversion not in accordance with the law of the land and provides extensive definitions for terms such as "allurement" (including gifts, employment, better lifestyle, or glorifying one religion against another), "coercion" (psychological pressure or physical force), "force" (threat of injury or divine displeasure), "fraudulent means" (impersonation), "misinformation," "online solicitation," and "propaganda." It clarifies that the return of any person already converted to their original or ancestral religion shall not be deemed a conversion under this Act. The legislation introduces stringent penalties for contraventions, with imprisonment terms ranging from not less than seven years up to life imprisonment, along with substantial fines. Enhanced punishments are prescribed for conversions involving minors, persons with disabilities, women, or individuals belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, as well as for mass conversions (where two or more persons are converted). The Act also stipulates that any marriage performed solely for the purpose of unlawful conversion or vice-versa shall be declared null and void by a Family Court or a court with appropriate jurisdiction. All offences under this Act are classified as cognizable and non-bailable, triable by the Court of Sessions.

A key procedural aspect of the Act involves mandatory declarations and notices. Any person desiring to convert their religion must submit a declaration to the District Magistrate at least ninety days in advance, affirming their free and voluntary consent. Similarly, religious convertors and priests performing conversion ceremonies are required to give two months' advance notice to the District Magistrate. Post-conversion, the converted person must submit a declaration to the District Magistrate within seventy-two hours. The District Magistrate is mandated to display these proposals and declarations publicly and invite objections, conducting inquiries if necessary. Contravention of these declaration and notice provisions renders the proposed or actual conversion illegal and void. Furthermore, the Act places the burden of proof on the person who caused the conversion and any abettor to demonstrate that the conversion was not effected through unlawful means. Institutions or organizations found violating the Act face severe penalties, including cancellation of registration, withdrawal of financial aid, confiscation of property, freezing of accounts, and a penalty of rupees one crore. The Act also provides for the forfeiture and confiscation of property or premises used for illegal conversions and the demolition of any illegal constructions on such properties.

The legislative intent behind the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025, is to safeguard individual religious freedom and prevent conversions induced by deceit, force, or other illicit means. The Act aims to address perceived statutory gaps and limitations in the existing legal framework concerning religious conversions, particularly those involving vulnerable sections of society. By comprehensively defining various prohibited methods of conversion, including the use of digital modes and online solicitation, the legislation seeks to adapt to contemporary challenges. The Act provided: “to provide for prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, misinformation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, online solicitation or by any fraudulent means or by marriage or pretext of marriage and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.” This core principle underscores the policy rationale to ensure that religious conversions are a matter of genuine individual conviction, free from external pressures or manipulative tactics.

The Act introduces new obligations for individuals and religious functionaries, requiring advance declarations and notices to the District Magistrate, thereby establishing a robust administrative oversight mechanism. This mechanism, coupled with provisions for public objections and inquiries, is designed to ascertain the genuineness and voluntariness of conversions. The stringent penalties, including imprisonment and substantial fines, are intended to act as a strong deterrent against those who engage in unlawful conversion activities, particularly targeting minors, women, and marginalized communities. The provision for declaring marriages null and void if undertaken solely for unlawful conversion aims to curb practices where marriage is used as a pretext for conversion. By placing the burden of proof on the convertor and abettor, the Act seeks to ensure accountability and facilitate enforcement. The legislation also extends its purview to institutions and organizations, holding them accountable for violations and empowering the State Government to take punitive actions, including financial penalties and cancellation of licenses, to prevent organized unlawful conversions. This Act is intended to supplement, rather than derogate from, any other existing laws, reinforcing the state's commitment to regulating religious conversions to uphold public order and individual rights.

Keywords: Rajasthan, Unlawful Conversion, Religious Conversion, Anti-Conversion Law, Forceful Conversion, Fraudulent Conversion, Allurement, Marriage Conversion, District Magistrate, Penalties, Cognizable, Non-Bailable

Geo Tags: India, Rajasthan District: Not Applicable